Associated Banc Corp Sells 15,848 Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

Key Points

• Associated Banc Corp cut its UPS stake by 50.3% in the first quarter, selling 15,848 shares and leaving it with 15,675 shares valued at about $1.54 million.
• UPS reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.07 versus $1.02 expected and revenue of $21.20 billion versus $20.99 billion projected, though revenue was still down 1.4% year over year.
• Wall Street sentiment remains mixed but generally supportive: Citigroup raised its target to $132 and Stephens upgraded UPS to strong-buy, while the stock’s consensus rating remains Hold with an average price target of $111.10.

Associated Banc Corp cut its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 50.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 15,675 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 15,848 shares during the quarter. Associated Banc Corp's holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $1,542,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. ARQ Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 167.5% in the first quarter. ARQ Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 19,112 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $1,880,000 after acquiring an additional 11,967 shares during the last quarter. Lincoln Capital LLC raised its stake in United Parcel Service by 992.9% during the 1st quarter. Lincoln Capital LLC now owns 50,033 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $4,922,000 after purchasing an additional 45,455 shares during the last quarter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in United Parcel Service in the 1st quarter valued at $10,046,000. Cullinan Associates Inc. boosted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 18.5% in the 1st quarter. Cullinan Associates Inc. now owns 92,789 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $9,129,000 after purchasing an additional 14,488 shares during the period. Finally, Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI grew its position in United Parcel Service by 5.1% in the 1st quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI now owns 10,136 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $997,000 after purchasing an additional 489 shares during the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

Shares of UPS stock opened at $112.61 on Monday. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 52 week low of $82.00 and a 52 week high of $122.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $95.72 billion, a PE ratio of 18.22, a PEG ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.21. The stock's fifty day moving average is $105.35 and its 200-day moving average is $105.63.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The transportation company reported $1.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $21.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $20.99 billion. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 35.95% and a net margin of 5.94%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.49 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 18th were paid a $1.64 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 18th. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.8%. United Parcel Service's payout ratio is currently 106.15%.

United Parcel Service News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting United Parcel Service this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target on UPS to $132 and reiterated a buy rating, while Stephens upgraded the stock to strong-buy, signaling Wall Street sees more upside. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: UPS was added to the Russell 1000 Value Defensive and Russell 1000 Defensive indexes, which can support demand from index-focused investors and highlight the stock’s defensive appeal. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call option buying suggests traders are positioning for continued gains in UPS shares.
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles pointed to UPS’s strong earnings-beat history and growing investor attention ahead of the next quarterly report, reinforcing expectations for another solid print. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: UPS is reshaping its network, likely as part of ongoing operational efficiency efforts, but the article did not indicate an immediate material financial impact. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: UPS and FedEx remaining top logistics companies by market cap is a reminder of the company’s scale, but this is more a sector ranking than a stock-moving catalyst. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General flagged UPS’s air cargo contract with USPS, urging a re-evaluation over volume-guarantee risks and even possible termination if issues are not addressed, which adds uncertainty around parcel volumes and contract revenue. Article Title

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UPS has been the topic of several research reports. Stephens upgraded shares of United Parcel Service to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Susquehanna lifted their target price on United Parcel Service from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Weiss Ratings lowered United Parcel Service from a "hold (c)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Evercore cut their price target on United Parcel Service from $115.00 to $113.00 and set an "in-line" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price objective on United Parcel Service from $125.00 to $123.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $111.10.

United Parcel Service Company Profile

United Parcel Service NYSE: UPS is a global package delivery and supply chain management company that provides a broad range of transportation, logistics and e-commerce services. Its core business centers on small-package delivery and last-mile distribution for business and individual customers, supported by a network of ground transportation, air cargo operations (UPS Airlines) and sorting facilities. In addition to parcel delivery, UPS offers freight transportation, contract logistics, warehousing, customs brokerage and reverse-logistics solutions designed to support domestic and international commerce.

The company traces its roots to 1907 when it began as a small messenger service in the United States and later evolved into the United Parcel Service.

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