Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NC Sells 112 Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NC cut its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 3.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,732 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 112 shares during the period. Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $430,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. RB Capital Management LLC raised its position in United Parcel Service by 3.1% during the 1st quarter. RB Capital Management LLC now owns 2,689 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $577,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Ergoteles LLC bought a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the first quarter worth about $1,162,000. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 10.0% in the first quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 1,233 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $264,000 after acquiring an additional 112 shares during the period. First Western Trust Bank bought a new stake in United Parcel Service in the first quarter valued at approximately $515,000. Finally, Stevens Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in United Parcel Service during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $701,000. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

Shares of UPS opened at $148.64 on Friday. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 52 week low of $133.68 and a 52 week high of $197.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $150.64 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $152.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $126.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.05.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 30th. The transportation company reported $2.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.46 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $24.92 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.40 billion. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 39.46% and a net margin of 7.37%. United Parcel Service’s revenue was down 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $3.62 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 8.28 earnings per share 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 issued a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 16th. This is a boost from United Parcel Service’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.62. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.39%. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is 83.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UPS has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. HSBC reduced their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $155.00 to $150.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Daiwa Capital Markets downgraded United Parcel Service from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $155.00 price target for the company. in a report on Tuesday, December 26th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on United Parcel Service from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. TD Cowen decreased their target price on United Parcel Service from $147.00 to $140.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Finally, UBS Group raised United Parcel Service from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $160.00 to $175.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have assigned a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, United Parcel Service presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $165.23.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Parcel Service

In other United Parcel Service news, Director Eva C. Boratto bought 1,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 2nd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $142.30 per share, for a total transaction of $199,220.00. Following 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 available through this link. Company insiders own 0.13% 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.