Benjamin Edwards Inc. Acquires 28,466 Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Key Points

• Benjamin Edwards Inc. increased its holdings in United Parcel Service (UPS) by 18.9% in Q1, acquiring an additional 28,466 shares, bringing the total to 178,991 shares valued at approximately $19.69 million.
• UPS reported a quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of $1.55, slightly missing expectations of $1.56, while revenues reached $21.20 billion, surpassing the predicted $20.90 billion.
• UPS declared a quarterly dividend of $1.64, which translates to an annual yield of 7.6%, with a significant dividend payout ratio of 97.62%.

Benjamin Edwards Inc. increased its stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 18.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 178,991 shares of the transportation company's stock after purchasing an additional 28,466 shares during the period. Benjamin Edwards Inc.'s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $19,687,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.5% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 66,136,226 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $7,274,323,000 after acquiring an additional 999,832 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 7.7% during the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 25,045,472 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $2,754,751,000 after acquiring an additional 1,780,807 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its position in United Parcel Service by 124.0% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 9,011,107 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $991,132,000 after purchasing an additional 4,988,044 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 9.6% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,391,605 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $932,081,000 after buying an additional 648,539 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its stake in United Parcel Service by 19.7% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 6,463,930 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $815,102,000 after purchasing an additional 1,064,293 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 60.26% of the company's stock.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

UPS stock traded up $1.23 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $87.54. 4,432,219 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,312,163. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $98.02 and a 200 day simple moving average of $103.91. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a one year low of $84.28 and a one year high of $145.01. The company has a market cap of $74.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $20.90 billion. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 39.61% and a net margin of 6.34%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.79 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 earnings per share for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 4th. Investors of record on Monday, August 18th will be given a dividend of $1.64 per share. This represents a $6.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.5%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 18th. United Parcel Service's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 97.62%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on UPS shares. Daiwa America cut their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $120.00 to $103.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. BNP Paribas raised shares of United Parcel Service to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 3rd. Susquehanna lowered their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $110.00 to $100.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $130.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. Finally, Loop Capital cut their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $115.00 to $105.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have assigned a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $112.81.

Insider Activity at United Parcel Service

In other United Parcel Service news, Director William R. Johnson bought 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 31st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $86.50 per share, for a total transaction of $432,500.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 10,160 shares in the company, valued at $878,840. This represents a 96.90% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Carol B. Tome purchased 11,682 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 1st. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $85.67 per share, with a total value of $1,000,796.94. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 24,718 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,117,591.06. The trade was a 89.61% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.13% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.