United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Stock Price Up 0.8% Following Analyst Upgrade

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)’s share price rose 0.8% on Wednesday after Wolfe Research upgraded the stock from a peer perform rating to an outperform rating. Wolfe Research now has a $147.00 price target on the stock. United Parcel Service traded as high as $126.47 and last traded at $126.02. Approximately 1,138,673 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 65% from the average daily volume of 3,264,239 shares. The stock had previously closed at $124.98.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the company. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on United Parcel Service from $165.00 to $162.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on United Parcel Service from $140.00 to $146.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on United Parcel Service from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $132.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Barclays restated an “underweight” rating and issued a $120.00 price target on shares of United Parcel Service in a report on Monday, October 21st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, fourteen have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $151.10.

Insider Activity

In other United Parcel Service news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 7,325 shares of the business’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 value of $1,015,025.25. Following the sale, the insider now owns 45,098 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,249,229.86. The trade was a 13.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Parcel Service

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its position in United Parcel Service by 15,779.6% in the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 14,631,461 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,994,853,000 after purchasing an additional 14,539,321 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP grew its holdings in United Parcel Service by 284.8% during the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 2,569,831 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $351,681,000 after acquiring an additional 1,901,914 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP raised its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 833.4% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 2,074,100 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $282,783,000 after purchasing an additional 1,851,900 shares in the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 1,061.1% during the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,772,765 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $232,959,000 after purchasing an additional 1,620,091 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in United Parcel Service by 6.4% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 21,927,607 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,989,609,000 after buying an additional 1,320,921 shares during the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $129.90 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $131.37. The company has a market capitalization of $108.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.14, a PEG ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 1.14.

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

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 5th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th were paid a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.15%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio is presently 98.49%.

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.