United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Shares Up 1.2% – Time to Buy?

Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) shot up 1.2% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $136.24 and last traded at $135.40. 438,358 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 90% from the average session volume of 4,175,586 shares. The stock had previously closed at $133.80.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Barclays lowered their price target on United Parcel Service from $145.00 to $120.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. TD Cowen assumed coverage on United Parcel Service in a report on Thursday, August 22nd. They set a “hold” rating and a $144.00 price target for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $165.00 to $162.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Baird R W upgraded shares of United Parcel Service to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $170.00 to $151.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $151.24.

United Parcel Service Trading Up 0.3 %

The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $130.01 and its 200 day simple moving average is $136.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a current ratio of 1.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $116.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.99.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.79 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.99 by ($0.20). The business had revenue of $21.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.17 billion. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 35.27% and a net margin of 5.87%. The firm’s revenue was down 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.54 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 19th were paid a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.80%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 19th. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is 106.36%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director William R. Johnson acquired 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 25th. The stock was bought at an average price of $128.61 per share, with a total value of $643,050.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 5,160 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $663,627.60. This represents a 3,100.00 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of United Parcel Service

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of UPS. Perpetual Ltd increased its position in United Parcel Service by 6.1% during the 1st quarter. Perpetual Ltd now owns 8,407 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,250,000 after purchasing an additional 486 shares during the period. Wedmont Private Capital increased its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 10.3% during the first quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 2,827 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $426,000 after buying an additional 265 shares during the period. American National Bank raised its stake in United Parcel Service by 26,566.7% during the first quarter. American National Bank now owns 3,200 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $476,000 after buying an additional 3,188 shares during the last quarter. LexAurum Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 30.0% in the first quarter. LexAurum Advisors LLC now owns 2,255 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $335,000 after buying an additional 521 shares during the period. Finally, BTC Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in United Parcel Service during the first quarter valued at $2,140,000. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.