87,229 Shares in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) Purchased by ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V.

Key Points

• ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. has acquired a new stake in United Parcel Service (UPS), purchasing 87,229 shares valued at approximately $9.6 million during the first quarter.
• Recent analyst reports have downgraded UPS's price targets, with Stephens reducing their target from $110.00 to $101.00 and Oppenheimer from $114.00 to $100.00, reflecting a more cautious outlook on the stock.
• United Parcel Service has declared a quarterly dividend of $1.64 per share, with the stock currently exhibiting a 7.6% dividend yield.

ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. purchased a new position in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 87,229 shares of the transportation company's stock, valued at approximately $9,594,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of UPS. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in United Parcel Service by 63.8% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 12,126 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $1,529,000 after buying an additional 4,723 shares in the last quarter. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at $336,000. FIL Ltd grew its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 24.2% in the fourth quarter. FIL Ltd now owns 32,759 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $4,131,000 after purchasing an additional 6,375 shares during the period. Fernwood Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 3.9% in the fourth quarter. Fernwood Investment Management LLC now owns 4,638 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $585,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares during the period. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. grew its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 36,438 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $4,595,000 after purchasing an additional 1,158 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 60.26% of the company's stock.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

UPS traded up $0.16 during trading on Friday, reaching $86.65. The stock had a trading volume of 6,275,090 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,095,052. The firm has a market capitalization of $73.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 1-year low of $84.28 and a 1-year high of $145.01. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $98.45 and a two-hundred day moving average of $104.95.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The transportation company reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.56 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $21.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.90 billion. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 39.61% and a net margin of 6.34%. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.79 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 4th. Investors of record on Monday, August 18th will be issued a dividend of $1.64 per share. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.6%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 18th. United Parcel Service's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 97.62%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on United Parcel Service from $110.00 to $107.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 8th. BNP Paribas raised United Parcel Service to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 3rd. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on United Parcel Service from $130.00 to $125.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 30th. Oppenheimer lowered their price objective on United Parcel Service from $114.00 to $100.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. Finally, Argus reduced their target price on United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $120.00 in a report on Friday, May 23rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have issued a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $112.81.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director William R. Johnson purchased 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 31st. The stock was acquired at an average price of $86.50 per share, for a total transaction of $432,500.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 10,160 shares of the company's stock, valued at $878,840. This trade represents a 96.90% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Carol B. Tome purchased 11,682 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 1st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $85.67 per share, for a total transaction of $1,000,796.94. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 24,718 shares in the company, valued at $2,117,591.06. This represents a 89.61% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company's stock.

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.