EP Wealth Advisors LLC Purchases 6,265 Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

EP Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 30.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 26,943 shares of the transportation company’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,265 shares during the period. EP Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $3,687,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UPS. TruNorth Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Security National Bank purchased a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Pineridge Advisors LLC purchased a new position in United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Riverview Trust Co bought a new stake in United Parcel Service during the 2nd quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Centerpoint Advisors LLC boosted its position in United Parcel Service by 291.7% in the 2nd quarter. Centerpoint Advisors LLC now owns 235 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 175 shares during the period. 60.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

Shares of UPS opened at $136.30 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a current ratio of 1.25. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $128.57 and a two-hundred day moving average of $138.24. The stock has a market cap of $116.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.75, a P/E/G ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.99. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a one year low of $123.12 and a one year high of $163.82.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.79 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.99 by ($0.20). United Parcel Service had a net margin of 5.87% and a return on equity of 35.27%. The firm had revenue of $21.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.17 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.54 EPS. United Parcel Service’s quarterly revenue was down 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.43 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 5th. Investors of record on Monday, August 19th were issued a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 19th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.78%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 94.49%.

Insider Activity at United Parcel Service

In related news, Director William R. Johnson acquired 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 25th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $128.61 per share, with a total value of $643,050.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 5,160 shares in the company, valued at approximately $663,627.60. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on UPS. Bank of America decreased their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $160.00 to $158.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. TD Cowen initiated coverage on United Parcel Service in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. They set a “hold” rating and a $144.00 price target on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on United Parcel Service from $170.00 to $151.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $145.00 to $120.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $144.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $149.68.

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.