ING Groep NV Buys Shares of 124,431 United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Key Points

• ING Groep NV acquired 124,431 shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. for approximately $13.7 million during the first quarter of the year.
• Several hedge funds, including Citizens National Bank Trust Department, have increased their stakes in UPS, with institutional investors currently owning 60.26% of the stock.
• Wall Street analysts have mixed opinions on UPS, with two sell ratings and a consensus average price target of $112.81, reflecting a general "Hold" rating among analysts.

ING Groep NV bought a new stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 124,431 shares of the transportation company's stock, valued at approximately $13,686,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of UPS. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. purchased a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Pinney & Scofield Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Citizens National Bank Trust Department boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 525.0% in the first quarter. Citizens National Bank Trust Department now owns 250 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Marshall & Sterling Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the company. Truist Financial decreased their price target on United Parcel Service from $130.00 to $120.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. BNP Paribas upgraded United Parcel Service to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 3rd. TD Cowen decreased their price target on United Parcel Service from $117.00 to $107.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. HSBC downgraded United Parcel Service from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and decreased their price target for the company from $140.00 to $105.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. Finally, Susquehanna reduced their price objective on United Parcel Service from $110.00 to $100.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have assigned a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $112.81.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director William R. Johnson bought 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 31st. The stock was bought 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 directly owned 10,160 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $878,840. This represents a 96.90% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Carol B. Tome bought 11,682 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 1st. The stock was bought 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 ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.13% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

UPS stock opened at $84.96 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $99.11 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $105.51. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12-month low of $84.28 and a 12-month high of $145.01. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51. The company has a market cap of $71.94 billion, a PE ratio of 12.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.12.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results 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 return on equity of 39.61% and a net margin of 6.34%. The company had revenue of $21.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $20.90 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.79 EPS. United Parcel Service's quarterly revenue was down 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 19th were given a $1.64 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 19th. This represents a $6.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.7%. United Parcel Service's dividend payout ratio is presently 97.62%.

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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