United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Stock Price Up 0.2%

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) shares traded up 0.2% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $128.13 and last traded at $127.63. 582,816 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 86% from the average session volume of 4,243,663 shares. The stock had previously closed at $127.40.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UPS has been the subject of a number of research reports. Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $160.00 to $158.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Susquehanna lowered their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $160.00 to $135.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Stephens decreased their target price on United Parcel Service from $168.00 to $140.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Oppenheimer cut their price target on United Parcel Service from $157.00 to $140.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, TD Cowen assumed coverage on United Parcel Service in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. They set a “hold” rating and a $144.00 price objective for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, United Parcel Service presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $151.20.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $108.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.50, a PEG ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.25 and a quick ratio of 1.25. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $131.77 and a 200-day simple moving average of $140.83.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.79 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.99 by ($0.20). United Parcel Service had a net margin of 5.87% and a return on equity of 35.27%. The business had revenue of $21.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.17 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.54 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.43 earnings per share for the current year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 5th. Investors of record on Monday, August 19th were issued a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 19th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.13%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio is currently 94.49%.

Insider Transactions at United Parcel Service

In other news, Director William R. Johnson purchased 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 25th. The shares were bought at an average price of $128.61 per share, with a total value of $643,050.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 5,160 shares in the company, valued at approximately $663,627.60. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Parcel Service

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in UPS. Northwest Financial Advisors acquired a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. TruNorth Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in United Parcel Service during the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Security National Bank bought a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Pineridge Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Riverview Trust Co bought a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

About United Parcel Service

United Parcel Service, Inc, a package delivery company, provides transportation and delivery, distribution, contract logistics, ocean freight, airfreight, customs brokerage, and insurance services. It operates through two segments, U.S. Domestic Package and International Package. The U.S. Domestic Package segment offers time-definite delivery of express letters, documents, small packages, and palletized freight through air and ground services in the United States.