Empowered Funds LLC Acquires New Holdings in Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. $ULH

Key Points

• Empowered Funds LLC acquired 96,115 shares of Universal Logistics Holdings during the second quarter, valued at approximately $1.42 million and representing a 0.36% stake. Institutional investors collectively own 25.5% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment remains largely negative: Universal Logistics has an average rating of “Sell” and an average price target of $15, despite one recent upgrade to “Buy.”
• Universal Logistics exceeded quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $0.16 in EPS versus $0.13 expected, while declaring a quarterly dividend of $0.105 per share, equivalent to a 2.2% annualized yield.

Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in shares of Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:ULH - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 96,115 shares of the transportation company's stock, valued at approximately $1,423,000. Empowered Funds LLC owned 0.36% of Universal Logistics at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in shares of Universal Logistics by 102.3% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,428 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 722 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its position in Universal Logistics by 403.5% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,130 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 1,707 shares in the last quarter. Archer Investment Corp bought a new position in Universal Logistics in the 1st quarter worth about $48,000. Deutsche Bank AG purchased a new stake in shares of Universal Logistics in the 2nd quarter valued at about $75,000. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its holdings in shares of Universal Logistics by 46.2% in the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 7,579 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $115,000 after acquiring an additional 2,396 shares in the last quarter. 25.50% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently commented on ULH shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d)" rating on shares of Universal Logistics in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Universal Logistics from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Universal Logistics from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 15th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on shares of Universal Logistics from $17.00 to $15.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Sell" and an average price target of $15.00.

Universal Logistics Stock Up 2.9%

Shares of NASDAQ:ULH opened at $19.01 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a current ratio of 1.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $501.26 million, a P/E ratio of -10.33 and a beta of 0.75. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $16.85 and a 200-day moving average price of $17.34. Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. has a 52-week low of $11.73 and a 52-week high of $26.18.

Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The transportation company reported $0.16 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.13 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $379.32 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $380.40 million. Universal Logistics had a negative net margin of 3.16% and a positive return on equity of 1.99%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. will post 0.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Universal Logistics Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.105 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 1st. This represents a $0.42 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Universal Logistics's payout ratio is presently -22.83%.

Universal Logistics Company Profile

Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc is a diversified, asset-light third-party logistics provider offering transportation and supply chain solutions across North America and around the globe. Its service portfolio encompasses truckload, less-than-truckload, intermodal, and specialized freight services, supported by dedicated brokerage, warehousing, and distribution management capabilities.

Originally incorporated as Universal Truckload Services, Inc, the company has evolved beyond its core truckload heritage to a one-stop logistics platform.

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