United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS Shares Acquired by Martin Capital Partners LLC

Key Points

• Martin Capital Partners LLC has significantly increased its stake in United Parcel Service (UPS) by 245.7%, owning a total of 55,866 shares worth approximately $5.64 million.
• Insider purchases include Director William R. Johnson acquiring 5,000 shares and Director Christiana Smith Shi buying 500 shares, indicating a bullish sentiment from company insiders.
• UPS reported a decrease in year-over-year earnings, with EPS of $1.55 for the most recent quarter, missing analysts' expectations and reflecting a 2.7% drop in revenue compared to the previous year.

Martin Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 245.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 55,866 shares of the transportation company's stock after acquiring an additional 39,706 shares during the quarter. United Parcel Service makes up about 2.2% of Martin Capital Partners LLC's holdings, making the stock its 22nd biggest holding. Martin Capital Partners LLC's holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $5,639,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in UPS. Gallacher Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in United Parcel Service in the 1st quarter worth approximately $620,000. Garde Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in United Parcel Service in the 1st quarter worth approximately $37,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in United Parcel Service by 61.3% in the 1st quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,576 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $173,000 after buying an additional 599 shares in the last quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC lifted its position in United Parcel Service by 5.9% in the 1st quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 3,467 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $381,000 after buying an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Advisor Resource Council purchased a new stake in United Parcel Service in the 1st quarter worth approximately $437,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 60.26% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at United Parcel Service

In other United Parcel Service news, Director William R. Johnson bought 5,000 shares of United Parcel Service stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 31st. The stock was acquired 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 $878,840. This trade represents a 96.90% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Christiana Smith Shi bought 500 shares of United Parcel Service stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 22nd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $88.17 per share, with a total value of $44,085.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 500 shares of the company's stock, valued at $44,085. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders bought 17,182 shares of company stock worth $1,477,382. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have issued reports on UPS. Evercore ISI cut their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $103.00 to $97.00 and set an "in-line" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $110.00 to $107.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 8th. Wolfe Research decreased their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $113.00 to $112.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 1st. Argus decreased their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $120.00 in a report on Friday, May 23rd. Finally, Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $90.00 to $80.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $112.34.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

NYSE:UPS opened at $84.40 on Monday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $91.22 and a 200-day moving average of $98.71. The company has a market capitalization of $71.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.56, a PEG ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.08. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 52 week low of $82.00 and a 52 week high of $145.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51, a quick ratio of 1.32 and a current 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 the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.90 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.79 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 4th. Investors of record on Monday, August 18th were issued a dividend of $1.64 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 18th. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.8%. United Parcel Service's payout ratio is currently 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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