10,536 Shares in United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS Purchased by Magnetar Financial LLC

Key Points

• Magnetar Financial LLC has acquired 10,536 shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. for approximately $1.16 million during the first quarter.
• UPS has announced a quarterly dividend of $1.64, representing a 7.5% dividend yield and a payout ratio of 97.62%.
• Despite a slight miss on earnings per share of $1.55 for the last quarter, UPS reported revenues of $21.20 billion, exceeding analysts' expectations of $20.90 billion.

Magnetar Financial LLC bought a new stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 10,536 shares of the transportation company's stock, valued at approximately $1,159,000.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in United Parcel Service by 1.5% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 66,136,226 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $7,274,323,000 after purchasing an additional 999,832 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in United Parcel Service by 7.7% during the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 25,045,472 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $2,754,751,000 after purchasing an additional 1,780,807 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its holdings in United Parcel Service by 124.0% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 9,011,107 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $991,132,000 after purchasing an additional 4,988,044 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp increased its holdings in United Parcel Service by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,415,523 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $815,633,000 after purchasing an additional 23,918 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in United Parcel Service by 1,056.6% during the 1st quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 4,336,175 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $476,936,000 after purchasing an additional 3,961,255 shares in the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on 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 on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. Galvan Research dropped their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $126.00 to $124.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, June 30th. BNP Paribas raised shares of United Parcel Service to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 3rd. Finally, Redburn Atlantic dropped their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $137.00 to $117.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $112.81.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

United Parcel Service stock traded up $0.27 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $87.54. The company's stock had a trading volume of 6,834,049 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,057,620. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12-month low of $84.28 and a 12-month high of $145.01. The company has a market capitalization of $74.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.03, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51, a quick ratio of 1.32 and a current ratio of 1.32. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $94.68 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $100.91.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 29th. The transportation company reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.56 by ($0.01). United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.34% and a return on equity of 39.61%. The business had revenue of $21.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $20.90 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.79 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.5%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 18th. United Parcel Service's payout ratio is 97.62%.

Insider Activity

In other United Parcel Service news, Director William R. Johnson purchased 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 31st. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $86.50 per share, with a total value of $432,500.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 10,160 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $878,840. This trade represents a 96.90% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Christiana Smith Shi acquired 500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 22nd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $88.17 per share, with a total value of $44,085.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 500 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $44,085. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders bought 17,182 shares of company stock worth $1,477,382 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the company's stock.

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.