Trexquant Investment LP Sells 45,037 Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

Key Points

• Trexquant Investment LP decreased its stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. by 27.7%, selling 45,037 shares during the first quarter.
• Insider activity saw Director Christiana Smith Shi purchasing 500 shares and Director William R. Johnson buying 5,000 shares, indicating strong confidence in the company's prospects.
• United Parcel Service is offering a quarterly dividend of $1.64 per share, with an annualized yield of 7.5%, despite experiencing a 2.7% year-over-year decline in revenue.

Trexquant Investment LP reduced its stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 27.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 117,465 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 45,037 shares during the period. Trexquant Investment LP's holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $12,920,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Pinney & Scofield Inc. bought a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. bought a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the 1st quarter worth $26,000. Citizens National Bank Trust Department boosted its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 525.0% in the 1st quarter. Citizens National Bank Trust Department now owns 250 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hemington Wealth Management boosted its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 68.9% in the 1st quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 282 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Christiana Smith Shi purchased 500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 22nd. The shares were bought at an average cost of $88.17 per share, for a total transaction of $44,085.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 500 shares in the company, valued at approximately $44,085. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, 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 dated Thursday, July 31st. The stock was purchased at an average price of $86.50 per share, for a total transaction of $432,500.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 10,160 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $878,840. This represents a 96.90% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have bought a total of 17,182 shares of company stock worth $1,477,382 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently issued reports on UPS. Vertical Research restated a "hold" rating and issued a $103.00 price target on shares of United Parcel Service in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. Barclays dropped their price objective on United Parcel Service from $90.00 to $80.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 31st. Galvan Research dropped their price objective on United Parcel Service from $126.00 to $124.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, June 30th. Evercore ISI dropped their price objective on United Parcel Service from $103.00 to $97.00 and set an "in-line" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Finally, Susquehanna dropped their price objective on United Parcel Service from $110.00 to $100.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $112.81.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

Shares of United Parcel Service stock opened at $87.25 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $73.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.12. The stock's 50-day moving average is $94.91 and its 200-day moving average is $101.29. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a one year low of $84.28 and a one year 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 results on Tuesday, July 29th. The transportation company reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.56 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $21.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 revenue for the quarter was down 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.79 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 4th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 18th will be issued a $1.64 dividend. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.5%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 18th. United Parcel Service's payout ratio is 97.62%.

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.

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