Graham Capital Management L.P. Takes $757,000 Position in United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

Key Points

• Graham Capital Management L.P. acquired a new stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS) worth approximately $757,000, purchasing 6,881 shares in the first quarter.
• United Parcel Service reported a net margin of 6.34% and quarterly earnings of $1.55 per share, missing the consensus estimate of $1.56, while revenue declined by 2.7% year-over-year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.64 per share, providing a dividend yield of 7.8%, with a payout ratio of 97.62%.

Graham Capital Management L.P. acquired a new stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 6,881 shares of the transportation company's stock, valued at approximately $757,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted 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 buying an additional 999,832 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 7.7% in the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 25,045,472 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $2,754,751,000 after buying an additional 1,780,807 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 124.0% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 9,011,107 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $991,132,000 after buying an additional 4,988,044 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp lifted its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 0.3% in the first quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,415,523 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $815,633,000 after buying an additional 23,918 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 1,056.6% during the first quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 4,336,175 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $476,936,000 after purchasing an additional 3,961,255 shares during the period. 60.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Parcel Service Trading Down 1.0%

Shares of UPS opened at $84.47 on Friday. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 52-week low of $83.67 and a 52-week high of $145.01. The business's fifty day moving average is $93.50 and its 200-day moving average is $100.28. 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 firm has a market cap of $71.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.57, a PEG ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.08.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 29th. The transportation company reported $1.55 earnings per share 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.90 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.79 EPS. The company's revenue was down 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 4th. Investors of record on Monday, August 18th were issued a dividend of $1.64 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 18th. This represents a $6.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.8%. United Parcel Service's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 97.62%.

Insider Activity at United Parcel Service

In other news, Director Christiana Smith Shi acquired 500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 22nd. The shares were bought at an average price of $88.17 per share, with a total value of $44,085.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 500 shares in the company, valued at $44,085. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Carol B. Tome acquired 11,682 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 1st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $85.67 per share, for a total transaction of $1,000,796.94. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 24,718 shares in the company, valued at $2,117,591.06. This represents a 89.61% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have bought a total of 17,182 shares of company stock valued at $1,477,382 in the last 90 days. 0.13% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have commented on the company. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on 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. Susquehanna lowered their price objective on United Parcel Service from $110.00 to $100.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. UBS Group lowered their price objective on United Parcel Service from $124.00 to $118.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on United Parcel Service from $98.00 to $91.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price objective on United Parcel Service from $127.00 to $114.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $112.59.

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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