Guggenheim Capital LLC Reduces Stock Position in United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

Key Points

• Guggenheim Capital LLC has reduced its stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. by 7.1%, with current holdings valued at approximately $26.2 million after selling 18,289 shares.
• United Parcel Service reported Q2 earnings with an EPS of $1.55, slightly missing the consensus estimate, and a revenue of $21.20 billion, surpassing expectations.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.64 per share, which is scheduled to be paid on September 4th, reflecting an annualized yield of 7.5%.

Guggenheim Capital LLC lowered its stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 7.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 238,378 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 18,289 shares during the quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC's holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $26,219,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Pinney & Scofield Inc. purchased a new stake in United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. bought a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service during the 1st quarter valued at $26,000. Marshall & Sterling Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Citizens National Bank Trust Department grew its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 525.0% during the 1st quarter. Citizens National Bank Trust Department now owns 250 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 60.26% of the company's stock.

United Parcel Service Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of UPS stock opened at $87.48 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $74.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.02, a PEG ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.12. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 52 week low of $84.28 and a 52 week high of $145.01. The company has a quick ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $95.38 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $101.57.

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). The company had revenue of $21.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $20.90 billion. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 39.61% and a net margin of 6.34%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.79 EPS. Analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 4th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 18th will be given a dividend of $1.64 per share. This represents a $6.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.5%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 18th. United Parcel Service's dividend payout ratio is currently 97.62%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on UPS shares. Argus cut their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $120.00 in a research report on Friday, May 23rd. DA Davidson cut 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 report on Wednesday, April 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $110.00 to $107.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 8th. Susquehanna dropped their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $110.00 to $100.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Finally, Bank of America reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $98.00 target price on shares of United Parcel Service in a report on Tuesday, July 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $112.81.

Insider Activity

In other United Parcel Service news, CEO Carol B. Tome bought 11,682 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director William R. Johnson bought 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 31st. The shares were acquired at an average price of $86.50 per share, for a total transaction of $432,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 10,160 shares in the company, valued at approximately $878,840. This represents a 96.90% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have acquired 17,182 shares of company stock worth $1,477,382. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About United Parcel Service

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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