United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) Shares Bought by First Trust Direct Indexing L.P.

First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. increased its position in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 14.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 14,228 shares of the transportation company’s stock after buying an additional 1,780 shares during the quarter. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P.’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $2,237,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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

United Parcel Service Trading Up 0.7 %

Shares of United Parcel Service stock traded up $1.06 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $146.98. 154,953 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,220,539. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $149.49 and a 200 day simple moving average of $150.76. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a twelve month low of $133.68 and a twelve month high of $192.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $125.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.05.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last posted its 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 firm had revenue of $21.70 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.84 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.60% and a return on equity of 37.42%. The company’s revenue was down 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.20 EPS. Research analysts forecast that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 8.23 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 13th will be paid a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.44%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 94.49%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. TD Cowen dropped their target price on United Parcel Service from $147.00 to $140.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 28th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on United Parcel Service from $165.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 24th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on United Parcel Service from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 27th. Raymond James lowered their price objective on United Parcel Service from $185.00 to $175.00 and set a “strong-buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 31st. Finally, Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have assigned a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company 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 news, Director Eva C. Boratto acquired 1,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 acquisition, the director now directly owns 1,400 shares in the company, valued at $199,220. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.13% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.