United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) Shares Acquired by Townsquare Capital LLC

Key Points

• Townsquare Capital LLC increased its holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. by 40.3%, acquiring an additional 35,916 shares during the first quarter, bringing its total to 124,966 shares valued at approximately $13.7 million.
• A recent analysis from various brokerages shows a mixed outlook for UPS, with target prices revised downward; currently, 17 analysts rate the stock as a "hold", indicating cautious sentiment among investors.
• UPS declared a quarterly dividend of $1.64 per share, with a significant annualized yield of 7.6%, highlighting the company's commitment to returning value to shareholders.

Townsquare Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 40.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 124,966 shares of the transportation company's stock after buying an additional 35,916 shares during the period. Townsquare Capital LLC's holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $13,745,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of UPS. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 124.0% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 9,011,107 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $991,132,000 after buying an additional 4,988,044 shares during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 1,056.6% in the first quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 4,336,175 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $476,936,000 after acquiring an additional 3,961,255 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 7.7% in the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 25,045,472 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $2,754,751,000 after acquiring an additional 1,780,807 shares during the period. Castlekeep Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter worth about $145,846,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 19.7% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 6,463,930 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $815,102,000 after acquiring an additional 1,064,293 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 60.26% of the company's stock.

United Parcel Service Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of NYSE:UPS traded up $1.06 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $87.37. 3,769,883 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,307,590. The firm has a market capitalization of $73.98 billion, a PE ratio of 12.99, a P/E/G ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.12. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $98.02 and its 200-day simple moving average is $103.91. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12-month low of $84.28 and a 12-month high of $145.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.32.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 29th. The transportation company reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.56 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $21.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $20.90 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.34% and a return on equity of 39.61%. The business's quarterly revenue was down 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.79 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 4th. Investors of record on Monday, August 18th will be issued a dividend of $1.64 per share. This represents a $6.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 18th. United Parcel Service's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 97.62%.

Insider Activity at United Parcel Service

In other news, CEO Carol B. Tome purchased 11,682 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, August 1st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $85.67 per share, with a total value of $1,000,796.94. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 24,718 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,117,591.06. This trade represents a 89.61% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director William R. Johnson purchased 5,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 31st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $86.50 per share, for a total transaction of $432,500.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 10,160 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $878,840. The trade was a 96.90% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on UPS. Hsbc Global Res lowered United Parcel Service from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $117.00 to $107.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. Vertical Research reissued a "hold" rating and set a $103.00 price objective on shares of United Parcel Service in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. BNP Paribas raised shares of United Parcel Service to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, July 3rd. Finally, Stifel Canada dropped their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $145.00 to $124.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seventeen have given a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $112.81.

United Parcel Service Company Profile

United Parcel Service, Inc, a package delivery company, provides transportation and delivery, distribution, contract logistics, ocean freight, airfreight, customs brokerage, and insurance services. It operates through two segments, U.S. Domestic Package and International Package. The U.S. Domestic Package segment offers time-definite delivery of express letters, documents, small packages, and palletized freight through air and ground services in the United States.