Private Advisor Group LLC Boosts Position in United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

Key Points

• Private Advisor Group LLC boosted its stake in United Parcel Service by 15.2% in Q3, adding 16,692 shares to hold 126,858 shares valued at about $10.6 million.
• UPS beat quarterly EPS estimates ($2.38 vs. $2.20) on $24.48B revenue (down 3.2% YoY) and pays a quarterly dividend of $1.64 (annualized yield ~6.5%), though a 100% payout ratio raises questions about dividend sustainability if margins deteriorate.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed—consensus rating is "Hold" with an average price target of $113.67—and recent headwinds (Amazon reducing volume, an ~11% pullback, and FedEx surpassing UPS in market cap) have increased downside concerns.

Private Advisor Group LLC boosted its stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 15.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 126,858 shares of the transportation company's stock after acquiring an additional 16,692 shares during the period. Private Advisor Group LLC's holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $10,596,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in UPS. BLVD Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the second quarter valued at $1,479,000. Strategic Planning Inc. bought a new position in United Parcel Service in the 3rd quarter worth about $3,885,000. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. grew its position in United Parcel Service by 14.6% during the 2nd quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 94,361 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $9,525,000 after purchasing an additional 12,035 shares during the last quarter. Cowa LLC grew its position in United Parcel Service by 329.2% during the 2nd quarter. Cowa LLC now owns 8,785 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $887,000 after purchasing an additional 6,738 shares during the last quarter. Finally, J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. increased its stake in United Parcel Service by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 182,836 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $18,455,000 after purchasing an additional 3,516 shares in the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have issued reports on UPS shares. Bank of America raised shares of United Parcel Service from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $114.00 target price for the company in a report on Friday, January 9th. Oppenheimer raised their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $107.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $96.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Wolfe Research reaffirmed a "peer perform" rating on shares of United Parcel Service in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Susquehanna increased their target price on United Parcel Service from $105.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, United Parcel Service presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $113.67.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE UPS opened at $100.77 on Thursday. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $110.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $97.81. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 52-week low of $82.00 and a 52-week high of $122.41. The company has a market cap of $85.56 billion, a PE ratio of 15.36, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The transportation company reported $2.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.20 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $24.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $23.91 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.28% and a return on equity of 38.30%. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.75 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 5th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th were paid a dividend of $1.64 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.5%. United Parcel Service's payout ratio is currently 100.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Parcel Service

In other news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 25,014 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.15, for a total transaction of $2,655,236.10. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.13% of the stock is owned by insiders.

More United Parcel Service News

Here are the key news stories impacting United Parcel Service this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UPS is actively shifting toward higher-margin B2B opportunities to offset reduced Amazon volume; that strategic pivot could stabilize revenue mix over time. UPS Leaning into B2B Opportunity Amid Amazon Reduction
• Neutral Sentiment: Debate over UPS’s capital‑heavy network: scale and infrastructure remain a competitive advantage, but rising energy and AI-driven costs could make the asset base a longer-term liability to margins. Is UPS’s (UPS) Capital-Heavy Network an Edge or Liability as Energy and AI Costs Shift?
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer-term performance context on parcel carriers vs. the market; useful background for investors but less immediate impact on near-term price action. Investing $1,000 in FedEx or UPS a Decade Ago Would Have Garnered How Much?
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage highlights that Amazon’s exit/reset of its UPS relationship is prompting fresh scrutiny of UPS’s valuation and whether the dividend is sustainable if volume and margins deteriorate. UPS Reset After Amazon Exit Puts Valuation And Dividend Under Scrutiny
• Negative Sentiment: BofA cut its price target (to $112) after UPS’s CFO signaled a softer Q1 outlook, signaling analyst caution and likely contributing to selling pressure. BofA Trims UPS Target as Analyst Flags Weaker Q1 Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Market-cap shift: FedEx has overtaken UPS for market value for the first time — a symbolic blow to investor confidence in UPS’s near-term leadership. FedEx tops UPS in market value for the first time
• Negative Sentiment: Recent market commentary and analyses are asking how far UPS shares can fall given network reconfiguration risks, Amazon volume shifts and margin pressure — reinforcing downside sentiment. How Low Can UPS Stock Go?
• Negative Sentiment: Short-term price weakness: coverage noting an ~11% pullback over the past week signals momentum-driven selling that can amplify volatility. UPS Falls 11% — And FedEx Just Stole Its Crown

About United Parcel Service

United Parcel Service NYSE: UPS is a global package delivery and supply chain management company that provides a broad range of transportation, logistics and e-commerce services. Its core business centers on small-package delivery and last-mile distribution for business and individual customers, supported by a network of ground transportation, air cargo operations (UPS Airlines) and sorting facilities. In addition to parcel delivery, UPS offers freight transportation, contract logistics, warehousing, customs brokerage and reverse-logistics solutions designed to support domestic and international commerce.

The company traces its roots to 1907 when it began as a small messenger service in the United States and later evolved into the United Parcel Service.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.