Ultrapar Participacoes S.A. (NYSE:UGP) Shares Sold by Hennessy Advisors Inc.

Hennessy Advisors Inc. lowered its holdings in Ultrapar Participacoes S.A. (NYSE:UGP - Free Report) by 10.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,625,700 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after selling 185,700 shares during the period. Hennessy Advisors Inc. owned approximately 0.15% of Ultrapar Participacoes worth $5,007,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UGP. Polunin Capital Partners Ltd purchased a new position in Ultrapar Participacoes in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $26,736,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its holdings in Ultrapar Participacoes by 74.3% in the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 3,513,800 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $9,241,000 after purchasing an additional 1,497,300 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its holdings in Ultrapar Participacoes by 18.7% in the fourth quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 2,821,125 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $7,420,000 after purchasing an additional 444,724 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in Ultrapar Participacoes by 6.5% during the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,776,107 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $4,671,000 after purchasing an additional 108,213 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP increased its holdings in Ultrapar Participacoes by 58.2% during the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 1,654,373 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $4,351,000 after purchasing an additional 608,951 shares during the period. 3.58% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Wall Street Zen lowered Ultrapar Participacoes from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 17th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $3.20.

Ultrapar Participacoes Stock Up 0.2%

NYSE UGP traded up $0.01 on Wednesday, hitting $3.18. 1,065,190 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,725,563. Ultrapar Participacoes S.A. has a fifty-two week low of $2.53 and a fifty-two week high of $4.51. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $3.02 and a 200-day moving average price of $2.91. The company has a quick ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 1.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The company has a market cap of $3.54 billion, a PE ratio of 8.82, a PEG ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 1.03.

Ultrapar Participacoes Profile

Ultrapar Participações SA, through its subsidiaries, operates in the energy and infrastructure business in Brazil. The company distributes liquefied petroleum gas to residential, commercial, and industrial consumers, in addition to renewable electricity and compressed natural gas. It also operates in the distribution and marketing of gasoline, ethanol, diesel, fuel oil, kerosene, natural gas for vehicles, and lubricants; and holds AmPm convenience stores and provides JetOil lubricant services.