Sentry Investment Management LLC Boosts Holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Sentry Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 273.9% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 3,556 shares of the transportation company’s stock after buying an additional 2,605 shares during the quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $485,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 1,061.1% in the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,772,765 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $232,959,000 after acquiring an additional 1,620,091 shares during the last quarter. Natixis bought a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the first quarter worth approximately $121,000. Cohen Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 26.4% in the third quarter. Cohen Investment Advisors LLC now owns 18,357 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,503,000 after buying an additional 3,835 shares during the period. Financial Partners Group LLC raised its holdings in United Parcel Service by 23.9% during the 2nd quarter. Financial Partners Group LLC now owns 26,319 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $3,602,000 after buying an additional 5,069 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. boosted its position in United Parcel Service by 12.3% during the 1st quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 59,567 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $8,853,000 after buying an additional 6,502 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

Shares of United Parcel Service stock opened at $133.00 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $113.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.09, a PEG ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 1.25. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 1 year low of $123.12 and a 1 year high of $163.82. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $131.58 and its 200 day moving average is $135.46.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The transportation company reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $22.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.10 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.57 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 19th were issued a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.90%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 19th. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is currently 98.49%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have issued reports on UPS. Barclays reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and set a $120.00 price objective on shares of United Parcel Service in a research note on Monday, October 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on United Parcel Service from $140.00 to $139.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Susquehanna lifted their price objective on United Parcel Service from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. StockNews.com upgraded United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $151.00 to $156.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $151.71.

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.