GSA Capital Partners LLP Grows Stock Position in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Key Points

• GSA Capital Partners LLP increased its stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. by 98.7%, acquiring an additional 3,035 shares and bringing its total holdings to 6,111 shares, valued at approximately $672,000.
• Multiple institutional investors, including Pacer Advisors Inc. and Janus Henderson Group PLC, made significant investments in UPS, showcasing strong institutional interest in the company.
• United Parcel Service's stock performance has come under scrutiny, with several brokerages reducing their price targets, leading to a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $112.81.

GSA Capital Partners LLP boosted its holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 98.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,111 shares of the transportation company's stock after buying an additional 3,035 shares during the quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP's holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $672,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Colonial Trust Co SC lifted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC now owns 7,227 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $911,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares during the period. Juncture Wealth Strategies LLC lifted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 2.5% in the first quarter. Juncture Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 4,124 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $454,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares during the period. TCV Trust & Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.4% in the first quarter. TCV Trust & Wealth Management Inc. now owns 7,544 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $830,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares during the period. Cohen & Steers Inc. lifted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 5.3% in the fourth quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. now owns 2,054 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $259,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares during the period. Finally, Diligent Investors LLC lifted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Diligent Investors LLC now owns 6,722 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $848,000 after acquiring an additional 111 shares during the period. 60.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director William R. Johnson acquired 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 31st. The stock was acquired at an average price of $86.50 per share, with a total value of $432,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 10,160 shares of the company's stock, valued at $878,840. This represents a 96.90% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Carol B. Tome acquired 11,682 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 1st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $85.67 per share, with a total value of $1,000,796.94. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 24,718 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,117,591.06. This trade represents a 89.61% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have issued reports on UPS shares. Oppenheimer dropped their price target on United Parcel Service from $114.00 to $100.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. TD Cowen dropped their price target on United Parcel Service from $117.00 to $107.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. BNP Paribas raised United Parcel Service to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 3rd. Vertical Research reissued a "hold" rating and issued a $103.00 price target on shares of United Parcel Service in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Finally, Stifel Canada decreased their price objective on United Parcel Service from $145.00 to $124.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have issued a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $112.81.

United Parcel Service Trading Down 0.9%

United Parcel Service stock traded down $0.81 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $85.97. 3,602,698 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,286,663. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12 month low of $84.28 and a 12 month high of $145.01. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $98.89 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $105.38. The stock has a market capitalization of $72.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.80, a PEG ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.12.

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

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 19th were issued a $1.64 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 19th. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.6%. United Parcel Service's dividend payout ratio is 97.62%.

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.