Versant Capital Management Inc Has $476,000 Stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 4.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,494 shares of the transportation company’s stock after buying an additional 142 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $476,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in United Parcel Service by 87.6% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 18,152,900 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,854,180,000 after purchasing an additional 8,475,698 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP increased its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 284.8% in the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 2,569,831 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $351,681,000 after acquiring an additional 1,901,914 shares during the last quarter. Spirepoint Private Client LLC bought a new stake in United Parcel Service during the first quarter worth about $160,787,000. Confluence Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in United Parcel Service during the first quarter valued at approximately $100,176,000. Finally, Interval Partners LP bought a new position in United Parcel Service in the first quarter valued at approximately $90,099,000. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

United Parcel Service Stock Down 0.0 %

Shares of NYSE UPS opened at $131.20 on Tuesday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $128.89 and its 200-day moving average price is $137.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a current ratio of 1.25. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 52-week low of $123.12 and a 52-week high of $163.82. The company has a market capitalization of $112.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 0.99.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.99 by ($0.20). The business had revenue of $21.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.17 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 5.87% and a return on equity of 35.27%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.54 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.43 earnings per share for the current year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 19th were given a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 19th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.97%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 94.49%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on UPS. UBS Group cut their price objective on United Parcel Service from $175.00 to $159.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. TD Cowen initiated coverage on shares of United Parcel Service in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. They issued a “hold” rating and a $144.00 target price for the company. Oppenheimer dropped their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $157.00 to $140.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Susquehanna dropped their price target on United Parcel Service from $160.00 to $135.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $156.00 to $134.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $149.68.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director William R. Johnson bought 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 25th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $128.61 per share, for a total transaction of $643,050.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 5,160 shares in the company, valued at approximately $663,627.60. This trade represents a 3,100.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.13% 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.