ProShare Advisors LLC Grows Position in United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

Key Points

• ProShare Advisors LLC increased its UPS stake by 9% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holdings to 138,743 shares valued at about $13.8 million. Several other institutional investors also added to their positions, with institutional ownership now at 60.26%.
• UPS shares were up 2.1% and recently traded at $98.84, near the middle of their 52-week range of $82.00 to $122.41. The stock carries a market cap of $84.02 billion and a dividend yield of 6.6% based on its newly announced quarterly payout of $1.64 per share.
• UPS beat quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $1.07 EPS versus the $1.02 consensus and revenue of $21.20 billion versus $20.99 billion expected. Analysts currently rate the stock a consensus Hold with an average target price of $111.87.

ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its position in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 9.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 138,743 shares of the transportation company's stock after purchasing an additional 11,407 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC's holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $13,762,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UPS. Coston McIsaac & Partners increased its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 77.8% in the fourth quarter. Coston McIsaac & Partners now owns 272 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 119 shares during the period. Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 76.5% in the third quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 376 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 37.3% in the third quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 456 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Activest Wealth Management increased its holdings in United Parcel Service by 144.3% during the 4th quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 408 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 241 shares during the period. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

United Parcel Service Stock Up 2.1%

Shares of NYSE:UPS opened at $98.84 on Thursday. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 52-week low of $82.00 and a 52-week high of $122.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $84.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.99, a P/E/G ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 1.06. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $100.39 and a 200-day moving average price of $102.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.21.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The transportation company reported $1.07 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $21.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.99 billion. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 35.95% and a net margin of 5.94%.The firm's revenue was down 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.49 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 4th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 18th will be issued a dividend of $1.64 per share. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.6%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 18th. United Parcel Service's payout ratio is 106.15%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on UPS. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on United Parcel Service from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Susquehanna boosted their target price on United Parcel Service from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on United Parcel Service from $115.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. HSBC upgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $96.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $111.87.

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.

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