United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Shares Down 0.6% After Analyst Downgrade

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) shares fell 0.6% on Tuesday after Loop Capital lowered their price target on the stock from $120.00 to $115.00. Loop Capital currently has a hold rating on the stock. United Parcel Service traded as low as $110.21 and last traded at $110.63. 2,453,289 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 64% from the average session volume of 6,834,080 shares. The stock had previously closed at $111.29.

A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $100.00 to $82.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Argus upgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Raymond James reduced their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $155.00 to $145.00 and set a “strong-buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. UBS Group decreased their price target on United Parcel Service from $170.00 to $141.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $166.00 to $147.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, fourteen have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $140.73.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 7,325 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.57, for a total transaction of $1,015,025.25. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 45,098 shares in the company, valued at $6,249,229.86. The trade was a 13.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.13% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Parcel Service

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 15,779.6% in the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 14,631,461 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,994,853,000 after acquiring an additional 14,539,321 shares during the period. Two Sigma Advisers LP boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 833.4% during the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 2,074,100 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $282,783,000 after acquiring an additional 1,851,900 shares in the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its holdings 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 worth $232,959,000 after acquiring an additional 1,620,091 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in United Parcel Service by 6.4% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 21,927,607 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,989,609,000 after purchasing an additional 1,320,921 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its holdings in United Parcel Service by 5,136.2% in the third quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,079,964 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $147,242,000 after purchasing an additional 1,059,339 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Stock Down 0.5 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $94.53 billion, a PE ratio of 16.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.98. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $128.31 and its 200 day moving average is $130.16.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The transportation company reported $2.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.52 by $0.23. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 39.13% and a net margin of 6.35%. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.47 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 8.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th were given a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.89%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 96.45%.

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.