Advisors Asset Management Inc. Grows Stock Holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

Key Points

• Advisors Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in United Parcel Service by 6.0% in the first quarter, owning 244,513 shares valued at approximately $26.9 million.
• Several institutional investors, including Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Pacer Advisors Inc., also significantly increased their holdings, with Goldman Sachs expanding its stake by 124.0%.
• United Parcel Service's latest earnings report indicated earnings per share of $1.55, slightly missing expectations, while its quarterly dividend was set at $1.64 per share, reflecting a yield of 7.7%.

Advisors Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 6.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 244,513 shares of the transportation company's stock after purchasing an additional 13,764 shares during the quarter. United Parcel Service comprises about 0.5% of Advisors Asset Management Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 24th largest position. Advisors Asset Management Inc.'s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $26,894,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in UPS. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 63.8% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 12,126 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $1,529,000 after acquiring an additional 4,723 shares in the last quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 35.4% in the 4th quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 13,717 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $1,730,000 after purchasing an additional 3,588 shares during the last quarter. Cary Street Partners Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter valued at $4,430,000. Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 4.6% during the 4th quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 50,205 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $6,331,000 after buying an additional 2,217 shares during the period. Finally, Bridgefront Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter valued at about $276,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.26% of the company's stock.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

Shares of UPS traded up $0.48 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $84.96. 8,580,388 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,905,999. The stock has a market capitalization of $72.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.64, a P/E/G ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.08. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $93.18 and a 200-day moving average price of $100.07. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12-month low of $83.67 and a 12-month high of $145.01. The company has a quick ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last posted its 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). The business had revenue of $21.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.90 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.34% and a return on equity of 39.61%. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.79 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced 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 of this dividend was Monday, August 18th. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.7%. United Parcel Service's payout ratio is currently 97.62%.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Parcel Service

In other United Parcel Service news, Director Christiana Smith Shi acquired 500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 22nd. The shares were purchased 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 owned 500 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $44,085. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Carol B. Tome bought 11,682 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 1st. The stock was bought at an average price of $85.67 per share, with a total value of $1,000,796.94. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 24,718 shares in the company, valued at $2,117,591.06. The trade was a 89.61% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders acquired 17,182 shares of company stock worth $1,477,382. Insiders own 0.13% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UPS has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on United Parcel Service from $80.00 to $75.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Citigroup dropped their price target on United Parcel Service from $127.00 to $114.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 31st. Oppenheimer cut their price target on United Parcel Service from $114.00 to $100.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Argus cut their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $120.00 in a research report on Friday, May 23rd. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane raised shares of United Parcel Service from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $100.00 price objective for the company in a report on Thursday, July 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $112.59.

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.