United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Trading 0.2% Higher – Should You Buy?

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) shot up 0.2% on Friday . The company traded as high as $130.57 and last traded at $130.16. 1,304,265 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 70% from the average session volume of 4,285,856 shares. The stock had previously closed at $129.94.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UPS has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Barclays reiterated an “underweight” rating and set a $120.00 price objective on shares of United Parcel Service in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $151.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Argus upgraded United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. StockNews.com raised United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on United Parcel Service from $134.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, fifteen have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, United Parcel Service currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $151.10.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

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 stock has a market capitalization of $110.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.00. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $129.09 and a 200 day moving average of $130.98.

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 business 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 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.49 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 5th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 98.49%.

Insider Activity at United Parcel Service

In other news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 7,325 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 directly owns 45,098 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,249,229.86. This represents a 13.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.13% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Parcel Service

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UPS. IFS Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 232.3% in the 4th quarter. IFS Advisors LLC now owns 216 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 151 shares in the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC grew its holdings in United Parcel Service by 397.7% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 214 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 171 shares during the period. PSI Advisors LLC raised its position in United Parcel Service by 408.2% in the third quarter. PSI Advisors LLC now owns 249 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 720.0% during the 3rd quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 246 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 216 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. Institutional investors 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.