United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Stock Price Up 1%

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) shares were up 1% on Monday . The company traded as high as $129.51 and last traded at $128.48. Approximately 806,544 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 81% from the average daily volume of 4,225,568 shares. The stock had previously closed at $127.24.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UPS has been the topic of a number of research reports. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $175.00 to $159.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Oppenheimer cut their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $157.00 to $140.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Bank of America decreased their price target on United Parcel Service from $160.00 to $158.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. TD Cowen started coverage on shares of United Parcel Service in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. They set a “hold” rating and a $144.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on United Parcel Service from $170.00 to $151.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $149.68.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $109.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a current ratio of 1.25. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $130.88 and its 200 day simple moving average is $139.88.

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

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 19th were paid a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.08%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 19th. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is 94.49%.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Parcel Service

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

Institutional Trading of United Parcel Service

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of UPS. Gilbert & Cook Inc. raised its stake in United Parcel Service by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Gilbert & Cook Inc. now owns 74,000 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $11,635,000 after buying an additional 540 shares in the last quarter. Aveo Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service during the fourth quarter worth $218,000. Gryphon Financial Partners LLC boosted its position in United Parcel Service by 128.2% in the 4th quarter. Gryphon Financial Partners LLC now owns 3,028 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $493,000 after purchasing an additional 1,701 shares in the last quarter. Level Four Advisory Services LLC grew its position in United Parcel Service by 4.8% during the fourth quarter. Level Four Advisory Services LLC now owns 10,773 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,694,000 after buying an additional 493 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter worth about $1,128,322,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.