United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS is Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC's 4th Largest Position

Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC increased its holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 5.7% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 954,426 shares of the transportation company's stock after purchasing an additional 51,332 shares during the period. United Parcel Service accounts for 3.4% of Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC's holdings, making the stock its 4th biggest holding. Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC owned 0.11% of United Parcel Service worth $96,340,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. bought a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the first quarter worth $26,000. Mid American Wealth Advisory Group Inc. purchased a new stake in United Parcel Service in the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. Citizens National Bank Trust Department grew its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 525.0% during the first quarter. Citizens National Bank Trust Department now owns 250 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Hemington Wealth Management increased its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 68.9% in the first 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. Finally, Saudi Central Bank bought a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service in the first quarter worth about $32,000. 60.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. BMO Capital Markets reissued a "market perform" rating and set a $96.00 price target (down from $125.00) on shares of United Parcel Service in a research note on Friday, September 19th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on United Parcel Service from $98.00 to $91.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. Bank of America reduced their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $83.00 to $81.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $96.00 to $85.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $124.00 to $120.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $109.31.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

Shares of UPS stock opened at $86.93 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $73.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.94, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.10. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $85.58 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $93.26. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a one year low of $82.00 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 announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The transportation company reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.56 by ($0.01). United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.34% and a return on equity of 39.61%. The firm had revenue of $21.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $20.90 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.79 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 4th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 18th were paid a dividend of $1.64 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 18th. This represents a $6.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.5%. United Parcel Service's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 97.62%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director William R. Johnson acquired 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 $878,840. The trade was a 96.90% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Carol B. Tome acquired 11,682 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 1st. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $85.67 per share, with a total value of $1,000,796.94. Following the completion of the purchase, 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 disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have bought 17,182 shares of company stock worth $1,477,382. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company's stock.

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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