BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S Increases Stock Position in United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

Key Points

• BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S increased its stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. by 96.4%, owning 100,009 shares valued at $11 million after buying 49,087 additional shares in the first quarter.
• United Parcel Service's quarterly earnings report showed $1.55 earnings per share, slightly missing analysts' estimates, while revenue reached $21.20 billion, exceeding expectations.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.64 per share, set to be paid on September 4th, representing an annualized dividend yield of 7.5%.

BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S lifted its holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 96.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 100,009 shares of the transportation company's stock after buying an additional 49,087 shares during the period. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S's holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $11,000,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of 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 during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc. increased its stake in United Parcel Service by 1,056.6% during the 1st quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 4,336,175 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $476,936,000 after purchasing an additional 3,961,255 shares in the last quarter. Nuveen LLC acquired a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service in the first quarter worth $201,358,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in 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 buying an additional 1,780,807 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Castlekeep Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in United Parcel Service during the fourth quarter worth $145,846,000. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

United Parcel Service Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of United Parcel Service stock opened at $87.7170 on Wednesday. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 52-week low of $84.28 and a 52-week high of $145.01. The company has a 50 day moving average of $96.69 and a 200 day moving average of $102.44. The company has a quick ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51. The company has a market capitalization of $74.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.12.

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

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 4th. Stockholders 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 payout ratio is currently 97.62%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $98.00 to $91.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Redburn Atlantic cut their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $137.00 to $117.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 8th. Susquehanna cut their price objective 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. Oppenheimer dropped their price target on shares of 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, BNP Paribas Exane upgraded shares of United Parcel Service from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $100.00 price target for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $112.81.

Insider Activity at United Parcel Service

In related news, Director William R. Johnson acquired 5,000 shares of United Parcel Service stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 10,160 shares of the company's stock, valued at $878,840. This represents a 96.90% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Carol B. Tome bought 11,682 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 1st. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $85.67 per share, for a total transaction of $1,000,796.94. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 24,718 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,117,591.06. This trade represents 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 currently owned by insiders.

United Parcel Service 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.

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