Van ECK Associates Corp Boosts Holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Van ECK Associates Corp raised its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 2.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 130,821 shares of the transportation company’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,277 shares during the quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $20,569,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UPS. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners acquired a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service during the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Life Planning Partners Inc acquired a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Bourgeon Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 69.5% during the 3rd quarter. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC now owns 239 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Parcel Service Stock Down 0.7 %

Shares of NYSE:UPS opened at $147.47 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $149.54 and a 200 day simple moving average of $150.80. The firm has a market cap of $125.74 billion, a PE ratio of 21.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.05. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12-month low of $133.68 and a 12-month high of $192.98.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.33 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $21.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.84 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.60% and a return on equity of 37.42%. The business’s revenue was down 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.20 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 8.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Eva C. Boratto purchased 1,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 2nd. The stock was acquired at an average price of $142.30 per share, for a total transaction of $199,220.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 1,400 shares in the company, valued at $199,220. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Evercore ISI reaffirmed an “in-line” rating and set a $154.00 price target on shares of United Parcel Service in a research note on Wednesday, March 27th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 27th. Oppenheimer raised their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $153.00 to $157.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 24th. TD Cowen decreased their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $147.00 to $140.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 28th. Finally, Bank of America raised their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $157.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have issued a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $165.23.

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.