United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Trading 1.4% Higher – Time to Buy?

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)’s stock price rose 1.4% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $126.78 and last traded at $126.70. Approximately 4,535,448 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 14% from the average daily volume of 3,971,383 shares. The stock had previously closed at $124.98.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently weighed in on UPS. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on United Parcel Service from $138.00 to $141.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Argus raised United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $159.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $140.00 to $146.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, fourteen have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $151.10.

United Parcel Service Stock Up 1.4 %

The company has a market capitalization of $108.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $129.90 and its 200 day moving average is $131.37.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The transportation company reported $1.76 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.63 by $0.13. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 37.38% and a net margin of 6.25%. The firm had revenue of $22.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.10 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.57 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 5th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th were given a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.15%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio is currently 98.49%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 7,325 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.57, for a total transaction of $1,015,025.25. Following the sale, the insider now owns 45,098 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,249,229.86. The trade was a 13.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Parcel Service

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UPS. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 397.7% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 214 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 171 shares during the period. PSI Advisors LLC increased its holdings in United Parcel Service by 408.2% in the 3rd quarter. PSI Advisors LLC now owns 249 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 720.0% in the third quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 246 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 216 shares in the last quarter. FSA Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in United Parcel Service during the third quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in United Parcel Service by 271.7% in the 2nd quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 394 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $54,000 after acquiring an additional 288 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Company Profile

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.