United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Trading 0% Higher

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) shares traded up 0% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $148.64 and last traded at $147.43. 657,890 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 85% from the average session volume of 4,304,648 shares. The stock had previously closed at $147.39.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UPS has been the topic of several analyst reports. Argus cut shares of United Parcel Service from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 31st. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $157.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on United Parcel Service from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 27th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on United Parcel Service from $165.00 to $169.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their target price on United Parcel Service from $183.00 to $179.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have assigned a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, United Parcel Service has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $166.96.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $125.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.37, a PEG ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11. The company has a 50 day moving average of $149.57 and a 200 day moving average of $151.01.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.33 by $0.10. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 37.42% and a net margin of 6.60%. The company had revenue of $21.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.20 EPS. United Parcel Service’s quarterly revenue was down 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 8.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 8th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 20th were given a $1.63 dividend. This is an increase from United Parcel Service’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.62. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.42%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 16th. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 94.49%.

Insider Activity at United Parcel Service

In related news, Director Eva C. Boratto bought 1,400 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 2nd. The stock was bought at an average cost of $142.30 per share, with a total value of $199,220.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 1,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $199,220. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 67,218,714 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $10,568,798,000 after acquiring an additional 178,394 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in United Parcel Service by 87.6% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 18,152,900 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,854,180,000 after purchasing an additional 8,475,698 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in United Parcel Service by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 15,889,570 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,456,055,000 after purchasing an additional 628,944 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 15,631.2% in the fourth quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 14,502,261 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,280,190,000 after purchasing an additional 14,410,073 shares during the period. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 11.4% during the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 9,607,055 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,510,517,000 after buying an additional 980,317 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

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.