United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS Shares Acquired by Stephens Inc. AR

Key Points

• Stephens Inc. AR increased its holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. by 20.1%, acquiring an additional 15,135 shares worth over $9 million during the second quarter.
• United Parcel Service reported earnings of $1.55 per share for the last quarter, slightly missing analysts' expectations, with a revenue decline of 2.7% year-over-year.
• The company recently declared a quarterly dividend of $1.64 per share, yielding 7.6%, with a high payout ratio of 97.62%.

Stephens Inc. AR lifted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 20.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 90,368 shares of the transportation company's stock after acquiring an additional 15,135 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. AR's holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $9,122,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in UPS. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. purchased a new stake in United Parcel Service in the first quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Citizens National Bank Trust Department lifted its stake in United Parcel Service by 525.0% in the first quarter. Citizens National Bank Trust Department now owns 250 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 210 shares during the last quarter. Hemington Wealth Management lifted its stake in United Parcel Service by 68.9% in the first quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 282 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. Saudi Central Bank purchased a new stake in United Parcel Service in the first quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Flaharty Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in United Parcel Service in the first quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.26% of the company's stock.

United Parcel Service Trading Up 0.5%

NYSE:UPS opened at $86.88 on Tuesday. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $85.59 and its 200-day simple moving average is $93.34. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12-month low of $82.00 and a 12-month high of $145.01. The firm has a market cap of $73.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.93, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 29th. The transportation company reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.56 by ($0.01). United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 39.61% and a net margin of 6.34%.The business had revenue of $21.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.90 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.79 EPS. The company's revenue was down 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The firm 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. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 18th. United Parcel Service's dividend payout ratio is currently 97.62%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have weighed in on UPS. Citigroup reduced their price objective on United Parcel Service from $114.00 to $112.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 13th. Vertical Research reiterated a "hold" rating and issued a $103.00 price objective on shares of United Parcel Service in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on United Parcel Service from $80.00 to $75.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on 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. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reissued a "market perform" rating and issued a $96.00 target price (down previously from $125.00) on shares of United Parcel Service in a report on Friday, September 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $109.31.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other United Parcel Service news, Director Christiana Smith Shi acquired 500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 22nd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $88.17 per share, with a total value of $44,085.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 500 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $44,085. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Carol B. Tome acquired 11,682 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 1st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $85.67 per share, for a total transaction of $1,000,796.94. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly 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. Insiders have acquired 17,182 shares of company stock valued at $1,477,382 over the last quarter. 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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