Harrington Investments INC Lowers Stock Position in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Harrington Investments INC lowered its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 1.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 7,403 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 85 shares during the period. Harrington Investments INC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $1,164,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Pacific Center for Financial Services purchased a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the first quarter worth about $25,000. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC acquired a new stake in United Parcel Service during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. IMA Wealth Inc. grew its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 100.0% in the 2nd quarter. IMA Wealth Inc. now owns 142 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Worth Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service during the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new position in United Parcel Service in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other United Parcel Service news, Director Eva C. Boratto bought 1,400 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 2nd. The stock was bought at an average cost of $142.30 per share, for a total transaction of $199,220.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 1,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $199,220. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UPS has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. TheStreet raised United Parcel Service from a “c” rating to a “b-” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 30th. Robert W. Baird raised United Parcel Service from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $165.00 to $170.00 in a research note on Friday, February 16th. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 31st. Argus downgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 31st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on United Parcel Service from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have given a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $170.59.

United Parcel Service Stock Down 8.2 %

Shares of NYSE UPS opened at $143.79 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $151.02 and a 200 day moving average price of $152.41. The company has a market cap of $122.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.46, a P/E/G ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.05. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12-month low of $133.68 and a 12-month high of $197.80. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 30th. The transportation company reported $2.47 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.46 by $0.01. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 39.46% and a net margin of 7.37%. The firm had revenue of $24.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.40 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.62 EPS. United Parcel Service’s revenue for the quarter was down 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 8.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 8th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 20th were paid a dividend of $1.63 per share. This is an increase from United Parcel Service’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.62. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 16th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.53%. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is 83.70%.

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.