Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. Lowers Position in United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

Key Points

• Stratos Wealth Partners cut its stake in UPS by 54% in Q4 and now owns 24,171 shares worth $2.398 million, while insider Norman M. Brothers Jr. sold 25,014 shares earlier this year.
• UPS beat Q4 estimates (EPS $2.38 vs. $2.20; revenue $24.48B) but revenue was down 3.2% YoY and the company faces margin pressure from a Teamsters settlement and rising diesel costs; analysts show mixed views with a consensus Hold and a $113.60 price target.

Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. cut its stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 54.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 24,171 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 28,415 shares during the period. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD.'s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $2,398,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of UPS. Salzhauer Michael purchased a new stake in United Parcel Service in the third quarter worth about $31,000. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in 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 buying an additional 163 shares during the period. Avion Wealth lifted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 284.1% in the third quarter. Avion Wealth now owns 434 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 321 shares during the period. Winch Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in 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 buying an additional 124 shares during the period. Finally, WPG Advisers LLC lifted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 47.7% in the third quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 486 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 157 shares during the period. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Oppenheimer raised their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $107.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $88.00 to $106.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $115.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. 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 research note on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Wolfe Research reaffirmed a "peer perform" rating on shares of United Parcel Service in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $113.60.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UPS opened at $97.56 on Wednesday. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $82.00 and a fifty-two week high of $122.41. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $106.74 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $99.48. The company has a market capitalization of $82.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a current ratio of 1.22.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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 company had revenue of $24.48 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.75 earnings per share. Analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 5th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 17th were given a dividend of $1.64 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $6.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.7%. United Parcel Service's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 100.00%.

United Parcel Service News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup cut its price target slightly to $118 but kept a "buy" rating, implying roughly 21% upside from the current share price — a supportive analyst voice that can lift sentiment. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: FedEx’s recent rally (shares up materially in the past quarter) highlights sector moves that could influence market comparisons for UPS, but it’s not direct company-specific news for UPS. FedEx Stock Rises 16.2% in 3 Months
• Neutral Sentiment: An AI data-center energy storage market report is not UPS-specific and is unlikely to move UPS shares materially; included here as broader macro/sector context. AI Data Center Energy Storage Market Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: UPS reached a settlement with the Teamsters that caps voluntary driver buyouts at 7,500 and limits severance offers; while the deal removes labor uncertainty, it constrains UPS’s ability to reduce headcount and capture near-term margin savings. UPS, Teamsters reach settlement that caps driver severance offers
• Negative Sentiment: Bank of America trimmed its price target (to $105) and highlighted the settlement’s impact on the path to margin recovery — another downward revision that can weigh on the stock. UPS Price Target Trimmed to $105 by BofA
• Negative Sentiment: Diesel prices have jumped sharply amid geopolitical tensions, pushing trucking surcharges to their highest levels since 2022 — this increases operating costs for UPS and pressures near-term margins. Diesel Prices Jump Nearly 50%
• Negative Sentiment: An analyst piece warns that macroeconomic headwinds for capital-intensive couriers are rising, underscoring demand and cost risks for UPS going forward. Should Investors Buy UPS Stock Today?

Insider Buying and Selling at United Parcel Service

In related news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 25,014 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.15, for a total transaction of $2,655,236.10. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.13% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

United Parcel Service 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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