United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS Shares Acquired by D.A. Davidson & CO.

Key Points

• D.A. Davidson & CO. increased its UPS stake by 24.9% in the first quarter, adding 32,090 shares and bringing its total holding to 161,007 shares worth about $15.84 million.
• UPS reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $1.07 per share versus the $1.02 consensus estimate, while revenue came in at $21.20 billion, slightly above forecasts.
• The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $1.64 per share, implying an annualized yield of about 5.6%, though its payout ratio is high at 106.15%.

D.A. Davidson & CO. lifted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 24.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 161,007 shares of the transportation company's stock after acquiring an additional 32,090 shares during the quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO.'s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $15,840,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of UPS. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in United Parcel Service by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 68,496,420 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $6,794,160,000 after purchasing an additional 1,218,432 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its position in United Parcel Service by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 32,092,627 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $3,183,268,000 after purchasing an additional 1,029,377 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 27,142,759 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $2,692,290,000 after buying an additional 856,125 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 17,154,091 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $1,703,291,000 after buying an additional 240,253 shares during the period. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 72.9% during the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 13,818,314 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $1,370,639,000 after buying an additional 5,826,824 shares in the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

Shares of UPS stock opened at $117.16 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $99.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.96, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.21. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 1 year low of $82.00 and a 1 year high of $122.41. The stock's 50-day moving average is $106.34 and its two-hundred day moving average is $106.01.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The transportation company reported $1.07 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 company had revenue of $21.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.99 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.49 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.1 earnings per share for the current year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 4th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 18th were issued a $1.64 dividend. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 18th. United Parcel Service's payout ratio is presently 106.15%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on UPS. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $125.00 to $123.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $127.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Stephens raised shares of United Parcel Service to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Citizens Jmp initiated coverage on shares of United Parcel Service in a report on Wednesday. They issued a "market perform" rating on the stock. Finally, Evercore reduced their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $115.00 to $113.00 and set an "in-line" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and three 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 target price of $111.10.

More United Parcel Service News

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

• Positive Sentiment: UPS is being highlighted as a top dividend stock, with a roughly 5.93% yield, which may attract income-focused investors and support the share price. Here’s Why United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) is a Top Dividend Stock to Invest in, According to Jim Simons’ Renaissance Technologies
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles argue UPS may still be undervalued after its multi-year decline, suggesting upside if the company can sustain its rebound and improve fundamentals. UPS (UPS) Stock Looks Undervalued Despite Its 33% Five Year Slide
• Neutral Sentiment: Citizens JMP initiated coverage with a “market perform” rating, which suggests a wait-and-see stance rather than a strong bullish or bearish signal. United Parcel Service NYSE: UPS Coverage Initiated by Analysts at Citizens Jmp
• Neutral Sentiment: UPS settled a long-running racial discrimination case, removing a legal overhang, though the news is more about risk reduction than a clear growth catalyst. UPS NYSE: UPS Settles Former Driver Racial Discrimination Case After Lengthy Legal Fight
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reiterated an Underweight rating and raised its price target only modestly, signaling continued skepticism about UPS’s near-term upside. Here’s Why United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) is a Top Dividend Stock to Invest in, According to Jim Simons’ Renaissance Technologies

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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