Buffington Mohr McNeal Has $346,000 Stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Buffington Mohr McNeal raised its holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 7.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,198 shares of the transportation company’s stock after buying an additional 147 shares during the period. Buffington Mohr McNeal’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $346,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. United Asset Strategies Inc. grew its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. United Asset Strategies Inc. now owns 18,589 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,923,000 after acquiring an additional 622 shares during the period. Imprint Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 4.1% during the 4th quarter. Imprint Wealth LLC now owns 4,687 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $737,000 after buying an additional 184 shares during the period. Eads & Heald Wealth Management boosted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 14.4% during the 4th quarter. Eads & Heald Wealth Management now owns 5,451 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $857,000 after buying an additional 687 shares during the period. Bourgeon Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, London & Capital Asset Management Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. London & Capital Asset Management Ltd now owns 222,039 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $34,911,000 after buying an additional 4,103 shares during the period. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Eva C. Boratto acquired 1,400 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 2nd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $142.30 per share, with a total value of $199,220.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 1,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $199,220. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently commented on UPS. UBS Group raised shares of United Parcel Service from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $160.00 to $175.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $154.00 to $150.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 9th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 27th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 27th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $178.00 to $170.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have given a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $165.61.

United Parcel Service Stock Down 0.6 %

NYSE UPS traded down $0.82 on Tuesday, hitting $144.03. 1,801,440 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,289,248. The company has a market cap of $122.81 billion, a PE ratio of 18.36, a PEG ratio of 1.68 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 stock has a fifty day moving average of $149.81 and a 200-day moving average of $151.49. 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 issued its 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. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 7.37% and a return on equity of 39.46%. The business had revenue of $24.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.40 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.62 earnings per share. United Parcel Service’s revenue was down 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 8.21 earnings per share for the current year.

United Parcel Service Increases Dividend

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

United Parcel Service 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.