Benjamin Edwards Inc. Raises Holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Benjamin Edwards Inc. lifted its stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 2,351.8% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 146,811 shares of the transportation company’s stock after acquiring an additional 140,823 shares during the period. Benjamin Edwards Inc.’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $20,018,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of UPS. Blackston Financial Advisory Group LLC increased its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.4% in the 2nd quarter. Blackston Financial Advisory Group LLC now owns 5,068 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $694,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares during the period. Cigna Investments Inc. New increased its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.0% in the third quarter. Cigna Investments Inc. New now owns 7,508 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,024,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the period. Gleason Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.2% in the second quarter. Gleason Group Inc. now owns 6,496 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $889,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. Nicholas Hoffman & Company LLC. lifted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 0.5% during the second quarter. Nicholas Hoffman & Company LLC. now owns 15,837 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,167,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the period. Finally, Banco Santander S.A. boosted 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 valued at $1,717,000 after buying an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

NYSE:UPS opened at $135.72 on Monday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $133.55 and a two-hundred day moving average of $133.67. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12 month low of $123.12 and a 12 month high of $163.82. The firm has a market cap of $115.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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 firm had revenue of $22.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.10 billion. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 37.38% and a net margin of 6.25%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.57 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 18th will be paid a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.80%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 18th. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio is currently 98.49%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. TD Cowen began coverage on shares of United Parcel Service in a research report on Thursday, August 22nd. They set a “hold” rating and a $144.00 price target for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $140.00 to $139.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 25th. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $132.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on United Parcel Service from $138.00 to $141.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $151.52.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other United Parcel Service news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 7,325 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.57, for a total value of $1,015,025.25. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 45,098 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,249,229.86. This represents a 13.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.