Blair William & Co. IL Sells 59,852 Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

Key Points

• Blair William & Co. IL reduced its holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. by 33%, selling 59,852 shares and now owns 121,438 shares valued at approximately $12.26 million.
• UPS stock currently trades at $82.97 with a market capitalization of $70.32 billion and has a P/E ratio of 12.35.
• The company recently announced a quarterly dividend of $1.64 per share, representing a 7.9% dividend yield, although its payout ratio is high at 97.62%.

Blair William & Co. IL lessened its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 33.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 121,438 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 59,852 shares during the quarter. Blair William & Co. IL's holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $12,258,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UPS. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.5% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 66,136,226 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $7,274,323,000 after purchasing an additional 999,832 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position 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 acquiring an additional 1,780,807 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in United Parcel Service by 124.0% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 9,011,107 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $991,132,000 after acquiring an additional 4,988,044 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp increased its position in United Parcel Service by 0.3% during the first quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,415,523 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $815,633,000 after acquiring an additional 23,918 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its position in United Parcel Service by 3.8% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 4,719,145 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $519,059,000 after acquiring an additional 171,303 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 60.26% of the company's stock.

United Parcel Service Stock Down 2.7%

Shares of NYSE:UPS opened at $82.97 on Friday. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 52 week low of $82.00 and a 52 week high of $145.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51, a quick ratio of 1.32 and a current ratio of 1.32. The company's fifty day moving average is $85.74 and its 200-day moving average is $94.45. The company has a market capitalization of $70.32 billion, a PE ratio of 12.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.10.

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

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 4th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 18th were paid a $1.64 dividend. This represents a $6.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.9%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 18th. United Parcel Service's payout ratio is currently 97.62%.

Insider Activity

In other United Parcel Service news, 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. This represents a 89.61% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Christiana Smith Shi purchased 500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 22nd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $88.17 per share, with a total value of $44,085.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 500 shares of the company's stock, valued at $44,085. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have bought 17,182 shares of company stock worth $1,477,382. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Oppenheimer dropped their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $114.00 to $100.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. BNP Paribas raised shares of United Parcel Service to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 3rd. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and set a $96.00 target price (down previously from $125.00) on shares of United Parcel Service in a research report on Friday, September 19th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $80.00 to $75.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $118.00 to $110.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $109.38.

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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