Carson Advisory Inc. Acquires 140 Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Carson Advisory Inc. increased its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 1.6% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 8,975 shares of the transportation company’s stock after purchasing an additional 140 shares during the period. United Parcel Service makes up about 1.1% of Carson Advisory Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest position. Carson Advisory Inc.’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $1,411,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of UPS. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new position in United Parcel Service during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners acquired a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Life Planning Partners Inc acquired a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Bourgeon Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 69.5% in the 3rd quarter. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC now owns 239 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares during the period. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

United Parcel Service stock traded up $1.30 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $147.22. 2,038,705 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,243,198. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 52 week low of $133.68 and a 52 week high of $192.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.10. The firm has a market cap of $125.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.32, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.05. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $149.49 and its 200 day simple moving average is $150.76.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $21.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $21.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.20 earnings per share. United Parcel Service’s quarterly revenue was down 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 8.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 13th will be given a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.43%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 94.49%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Eva C. Boratto acquired 1,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 2nd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $142.30 per share, for a total transaction of $199,220.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $199,220. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on UPS. HSBC raised United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the company from $150.00 to $170.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. TheStreet raised United Parcel Service from a “c” rating to a “b-” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 30th. Argus downgraded United Parcel Service from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 31st. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on United Parcel Service from $165.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 24th. Finally, Evercore ISI reaffirmed an “in-line” rating and set a $154.00 price objective on shares of United Parcel Service in a research note on Wednesday, March 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have assigned a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, United Parcel Service has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $165.23.

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.