Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Raises Stock Position in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Key Points

• Dimensional Fund Advisors LP has increased its holdings in United Parcel Service (UPS) by 7.4% in Q1, now owning nearly 3.9 million shares valued at approximately $428 million.
• Insider trading activity includes CEO Carol B. Tome acquiring over 11,600 shares, representing a 89.61% increase in her position, and Director William R. Johnson increasing his stake by 96.90% with a purchase of 5,000 shares.
• UPS recently announced a quarterly dividend of $1.64 per share, resulting in an annualized payout of $6.56, reflecting a dividend yield of 7.4% with a payout ratio of 97.62%.

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 7.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,891,627 shares of the transportation company's stock after purchasing an additional 268,418 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned approximately 0.46% of United Parcel Service worth $427,993,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Colonial Trust Co SC lifted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC now owns 7,227 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $911,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. Juncture Wealth Strategies LLC lifted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 2.5% in the 1st quarter. Juncture Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 4,124 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $454,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares during the last quarter. TCV Trust & Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. TCV Trust & Wealth Management Inc. now owns 7,544 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $830,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. Diligent Investors LLC lifted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Diligent Investors LLC now owns 6,722 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $848,000 after acquiring an additional 111 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lodestone Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in United Parcel Service by 6.2% during the first quarter. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,895 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $208,000 after buying an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 60.26% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Carol B. Tome bought 11,682 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 1st. The shares were acquired 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 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director William R. Johnson bought 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 31st. The stock was purchased at an average price of $86.50 per share, for a total transaction of $432,500.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 10,160 shares in the company, valued at $878,840. The trade was a 96.90% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company's stock.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

Shares of UPS opened at $88.52 on Friday. The company's fifty day moving average is $97.24 and its 200-day moving average is $103.03. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12 month low of $84.28 and a 12 month high of $145.01. The firm has a market cap of $74.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a quick ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly 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 return on equity of 39.61% and a net margin of 6.34%. The business had revenue of $21.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.90 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.79 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 4th. Investors of record on Monday, August 18th will be paid a $1.64 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 18th. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.4%. United Parcel Service's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 97.62%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have commented on UPS. DA Davidson reduced their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $154.00 to $150.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $124.00 to $120.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Vertical Research reaffirmed a "hold" rating and set a $103.00 price objective on shares of United Parcel Service in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $110.00 to $107.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 8th. Finally, Argus reduced their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Friday, May 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have given a hold rating, eleven have assigned 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 target price of $112.81.

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.

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