Strategic Planning Inc. Acquires New Holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

Key Points

• Strategic Planning Inc. bought a new position of 46,511 shares of UPS (about $3.885 million), making the stock roughly 2.2% of its portfolio and its 14th-largest holding.
• UPS beat Q3 EPS estimates with $1.74 (consensus $1.31) and reported $21.42B in revenue (down 3.7% YoY), and it recently paid a quarterly dividend of $1.64 (annualized $6.56) yielding 6.6% with a payout ratio of 101.39%.
• The shares carry a consensus "Hold" rating with an average price target of $110.09, a market cap of $84.5B and a P/E of 15.39, and about 60.26% of the stock is held by institutional investors.

Strategic Planning Inc. bought a new position in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 46,511 shares of the transportation company's stock, valued at approximately $3,885,000. United Parcel Service comprises approximately 2.2% of Strategic Planning Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest position.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Andra AP fonden grew its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 95.9% during the 2nd quarter. Andra AP fonden now owns 332,983 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $33,611,000 after buying an additional 163,000 shares in the last quarter. BLVD Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service in the second quarter valued at about $1,479,000. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. lifted its stake in United Parcel Service by 14.6% in the second quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 94,361 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $9,525,000 after acquiring an additional 12,035 shares during the period. Equity Investment Corp grew its holdings in United Parcel Service by 16.8% during the 2nd quarter. Equity Investment Corp now owns 1,130,550 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $114,118,000 after acquiring an additional 162,364 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cowa LLC grew its holdings in United Parcel Service by 329.2% during the 2nd quarter. Cowa LLC now owns 8,785 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $887,000 after acquiring an additional 6,738 shares in the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

UPS opened at $99.61 on Tuesday. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 52-week low of $82.00 and a 52-week high of $136.99. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50. The company has a market cap of $84.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 1.11. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $95.80 and its 200-day moving average price is $92.78.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The transportation company reported $1.74 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.31 by $0.43. The company had revenue of $21.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $20.94 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.15% and a return on equity of 40.07%. United Parcel Service's revenue for the quarter was down 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.76 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 4th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 17th were issued a dividend of $1.64 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 17th. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.6%. United Parcel Service's payout ratio is 101.39%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $110.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on United Parcel Service from $91.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d+)" rating on shares of United Parcel Service in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on United Parcel Service from $85.00 to $97.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, November 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, sixteen have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $110.09.

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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