KBC Group NV Sells 37,719 Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

KBC Group NV lessened its stake in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 15.8% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 201,752 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 37,719 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV's holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $22,191,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in UPS. Norges Bank purchased a new position in United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,075,393,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the fourth quarter worth about $393,680,000. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 15.6% during the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 10,979,909 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $1,384,567,000 after purchasing an additional 1,484,452 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 6.1% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 23,264,665 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $2,933,674,000 after purchasing an additional 1,337,058 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi grew its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 14.6% during the fourth quarter. Amundi now owns 10,040,863 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $1,272,600,000 after purchasing an additional 1,277,328 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 60.26% of the company's stock.

United Parcel Service Trading Up 3.4%

UPS stock traded up $3.47 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $104.41. The company had a trading volume of 6,817,223 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,196,111. The company has a current ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 52 week low of $90.55 and a 52 week high of $148.15. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $98.28 and its 200 day moving average price is $110.24. The stock has a market cap of $88.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.22, a PEG ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.22.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The transportation company reported $1.49 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.38 by $0.11. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 40.15% and a net margin of 6.44%. The firm had revenue of $21.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.25 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.43 earnings per share. The business's revenue was down .9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 5th. Investors of record on Monday, May 19th were issued a dividend of $1.64 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 19th. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.28%. United Parcel Service's dividend payout ratio is presently 95.63%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently commented on UPS shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on United Parcel Service in a report on Friday, March 7th. They set a "hold" rating and a $119.00 price objective for the company. Loop Capital cut their price objective on United Parcel Service from $115.00 to $105.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. Wolfe Research cut their price objective on United Parcel Service from $133.00 to $113.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on United Parcel Service from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 7th. Finally, UBS Group dropped their target price on United Parcel Service from $141.00 to $127.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have assigned a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $120.26.

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.