United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS Shares Acquired by Candriam S.C.A.

Candriam S.C.A. increased its position in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 29.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 91,015 shares of the transportation company's stock after buying an additional 20,791 shares during the period. Candriam S.C.A.'s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $8,954,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UPS. Potomac Fund Management Inc. ADV boosted its position in United Parcel Service by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Potomac Fund Management Inc. ADV now owns 11,324 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $1,123,000 after buying an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Westbourne Investments Inc. increased its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Westbourne Investments Inc. now owns 7,876 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $781,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Ipsen Advisor Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Ipsen Advisor Group LLC now owns 5,670 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $562,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. Webster Bank N. A. lifted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 16.7% in the fourth quarter. Webster Bank N. A. now owns 698 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $69,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Peoples Financial Services CORP. boosted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Peoples Financial Services CORP. now owns 4,030 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $400,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.26% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UPS has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings lowered United Parcel Service from a "hold (c)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Evercore cut their target price on United Parcel Service from $115.00 to $113.00 and set an "in-line" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Susquehanna increased their target price on United Parcel Service from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Stephens raised shares of United Parcel Service to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $125.00 to $123.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $111.10.

More United Parcel Service News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target on UPS to $132 and reiterated a buy rating, while Stephens upgraded the stock to strong-buy, signaling Wall Street sees more upside. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: UPS was added to the Russell 1000 Value Defensive and Russell 1000 Defensive indexes, which can support demand from index-focused investors and highlight the stock’s defensive appeal. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call option buying suggests traders are positioning for continued gains in UPS shares.
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles pointed to UPS’s strong earnings-beat history and growing investor attention ahead of the next quarterly report, reinforcing expectations for another solid print. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: UPS is reshaping its network, likely as part of ongoing operational efficiency efforts, but the article did not indicate an immediate material financial impact. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: UPS and FedEx remaining top logistics companies by market cap is a reminder of the company’s scale, but this is more a sector ranking than a stock-moving catalyst. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General flagged UPS’s air cargo contract with USPS, urging a re-evaluation over volume-guarantee risks and even possible termination if issues are not addressed, which adds uncertainty around parcel volumes and contract revenue. Article Title

United Parcel Service Stock Up 0.1%

NYSE:UPS opened at $112.61 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.21. The company has a market capitalization of $95.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.05. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a one year low of $82.00 and a one year high of $122.41. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $105.35 and a 200 day simple moving average of $105.63.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The transportation company reported $1.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.05. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 35.95% and a net margin of 5.94%.The firm had revenue of $21.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $20.99 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.49 earnings per share. United Parcel Service's revenue for the quarter was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 4th. Investors of record on Monday, May 18th were given a dividend of $1.64 per share. This represents a $6.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 18th. United Parcel Service's dividend payout ratio is currently 106.15%.

United Parcel Service Company 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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