United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Trading 1.5% Higher After Analyst Upgrade

Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) shot up 1.5% during mid-day trading on Tuesday after JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on the stock from $134.00 to $135.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has a neutral rating on the stock. United Parcel Service traded as high as $127.08 and last traded at $126.05. 1,037,334 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 67% from the average session volume of 3,111,300 shares. The stock had previously closed at $124.21.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $159.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Susquehanna boosted their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Argus upgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Citigroup cut their price target on United Parcel Service from $163.00 to $158.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Finally, Barclays reissued an “underweight” rating and issued a $120.00 price objective on shares of United Parcel Service in a report on Monday, October 21st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $151.30.

Insider Transactions at United Parcel Service

In related news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 7,325 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.57, for a total transaction of $1,015,025.25. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 45,098 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,249,229.86. This trade represents a 13.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Parcel Service

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UPS. Cigna Investments Inc. New grew its position in United Parcel Service by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Cigna Investments Inc. New now owns 7,508 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,024,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Banco Santander S.A. raised its position in United Parcel Service by 0.6% in the third quarter. Banco Santander S.A. now owns 12,596 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,717,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares during the period. Gleason Group Inc. boosted its stake in United Parcel Service by 1.2% in the third quarter. Gleason Group Inc. now owns 6,576 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $897,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Tradewinds LLC. grew its holdings in United Parcel Service by 1.8% during the third quarter. Tradewinds LLC. now owns 4,487 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $612,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the period. Finally, OLD Second National Bank of Aurora raised its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.2% in the third quarter. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora now owns 7,177 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $979,000 after buying an additional 83 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $106.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.87, a P/E/G ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.14. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $130.04 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $131.40.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The transportation company reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.63 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $22.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.10 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.25% and a return on equity of 37.38%. United Parcel Service’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.57 EPS. On average, analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th were paid a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.22%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio is currently 98.49%.

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.