United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Shares Down 1.4%

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) fell 1.4% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $142.71 and last traded at $142.89. 4,197,107 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 7% from the average session volume of 4,529,379 shares. The stock had previously closed at $144.85.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on UPS shares. TheStreet raised United Parcel Service from a “c” rating to a “b-” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 30th. Daiwa Capital Markets cut United Parcel Service from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $155.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Tuesday, December 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on United Parcel Service from $154.00 to $150.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 9th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on United Parcel Service from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 27th. Finally, Evercore ISI reissued an “in-line” rating and set a $154.00 target price on shares of United Parcel Service in a report on Wednesday, March 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have issued a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $165.61.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $121.84 billion, a PE ratio of 18.34, a PEG ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 1.05. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $149.75 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $151.40.

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, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.46 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $24.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.40 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 7.37% and a return on equity of 39.46%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.62 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 8.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 8th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 20th were paid a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 16th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.56%. This is a positive change from United Parcel Service’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.62. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 83.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Parcel Service

In related news, Director Eva C. Boratto bought 1,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 2nd. The stock was bought at an average price of $142.30 per share, with a total value of $199,220.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 1,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $199,220. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Parcel Service

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of UPS. RB Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 3.1% in the 1st quarter. RB Capital Management LLC now owns 2,689 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $577,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Ergoteles LLC acquired a new position in United Parcel Service during the 1st quarter worth $1,162,000. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC lifted its position in United Parcel Service by 10.0% during the 1st 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 last quarter. First Western Trust Bank acquired a new position in United Parcel Service during the 1st quarter worth $515,000. Finally, Stevens Capital Management LP acquired a new position in United Parcel Service during the 1st quarter worth $701,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.