Stephens Inc. AR Sells 15,411 Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

Key Points

• Stephens Inc. AR reduced its UPS stake by 16.9% in the fourth quarter, selling 15,411 shares and ending with 75,836 shares valued at about $7.59 million.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed, with a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $111.87, even as several firms recently adjusted their targets and recommendations.
• UPS reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $1.07 per share and revenue of $21.20 billion, and it also announced a quarterly dividend of $1.64 per share, implying a 6.6% annual yield.

Stephens Inc. AR cut its position in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 16.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 75,836 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 15,411 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. AR's holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $7,591,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 68,496,420 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $6,794,160,000 after acquiring an additional 1,218,432 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 0.9% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 31,063,250 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $2,594,713,000 after acquiring an additional 288,720 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 10.5% during the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 7,991,490 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $667,109,000 after purchasing an additional 761,217 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. raised its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 17.3% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 6,724,265 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $561,678,000 after purchasing an additional 993,461 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 10.6% in the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 5,072,282 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $423,746,000 after purchasing an additional 486,384 shares in the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have commented on UPS. TD Cowen boosted their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $101.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of United Parcel Service from a "hold (c)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $112.00 to $116.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price 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. Finally, UBS Group cut their price target on United Parcel Service from $125.00 to $123.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $111.87.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

UPS opened at $98.98 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50, a current ratio of 1.21 and a quick ratio of 1.21. The company has a market capitalization of $84.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.02, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.06. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $100.68 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $102.61. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 1 year low of $82.00 and a 1 year high of $122.41.

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

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 18th will be paid a $1.64 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 18th. This represents a $6.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.6%. United Parcel Service's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 106.15%.

More United Parcel Service News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Some Wall Street analysts remain moderately bullish on UPS, which can help support investor confidence despite the stock’s recent underperformance versus the broader market. Are Wall Street Analysts Bullish on United Parcel Service Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish commentary from investors highlighted UPS’s valuation, noting its trailing and forward P/E multiples as potentially attractive for value-focused buyers. Is United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: A report questioning whether UPS could face pressure amid Russell 1000 trends adds a cautious macro backdrop, but does not appear to signal a major company-specific change. Could United Parcel Service Face Pressure Amid Russell 1000 Trends?
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research trimmed EPS estimates for multiple future periods, including FY2026, FY2027, FY2028, Q3 2027 and Q4 2027, reinforcing concern that earnings growth could be less robust than previously expected.
• Negative Sentiment: A board member resignation following a Federal Reserve appointment introduces a small governance headline, but it is likely a secondary factor compared with the earnings revisions.

United Parcel Service Company Profile

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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