Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund Acquires 20,450 Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

Key Points

• Fjarde AP Fonden increased its UPS stake by 76.8% in the first quarter, buying 20,450 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 47,091 shares worth about $4.63 million.
• UPS reported quarterly earnings of $1.07 per share, beating analyst estimates of $1.02, while revenue came in at $21.20 billion, slightly above expectations but down 1.4% from a year earlier.
• The company also declared a $1.64 quarterly dividend, equal to an annualized yield of about 6.0%, even as analysts currently maintain a consensus rating of “Hold” with an average target price of $110.85.

Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund lifted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 76.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 47,091 shares of the transportation company's stock after purchasing an additional 20,450 shares during the quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund's holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $4,633,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of UPS. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. bought a new stake in United Parcel Service during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. acquired a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Coston McIsaac & Partners increased its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 77.8% during the 4th quarter. Coston McIsaac & Partners now owns 272 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 119 shares during the last quarter. Torren Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Institutional investors own 60.26% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $118.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a "hold (c)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Evercore lowered their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $115.00 to $113.00 and set an "in-line" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Susquehanna raised their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price target on United Parcel Service from $125.00 to $123.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $110.85.

United Parcel Service Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of UPS stock opened at $109.99 on Tuesday. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12-month low of $82.00 and a 12-month high of $122.41. The company has a market capitalization of $93.49 billion, a PE ratio of 17.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.05. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $104.91 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $105.28. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The transportation company reported $1.07 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.05. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 35.95% and a net margin of 5.94%.The company had revenue of $21.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.99 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.49 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.1 earnings per share for the current year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 4th. Investors of record on Monday, May 18th were given a dividend of $1.64 per share. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 18th. United Parcel Service's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 106.15%.

United Parcel Service Company Profile

United Parcel Service NYSE: UPS is a global package delivery and supply chain management company that provides a broad range of transportation, logistics and e-commerce services. Its core business centers on small-package delivery and last-mile distribution for business and individual customers, supported by a network of ground transportation, air cargo operations (UPS Airlines) and sorting facilities. In addition to parcel delivery, UPS offers freight transportation, contract logistics, warehousing, customs brokerage and reverse-logistics solutions designed to support domestic and international commerce.

The company traces its roots to 1907 when it began as a small messenger service in the United States and later evolved into the United Parcel Service.

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