United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS Shares Purchased by First Horizon Corp

Key Points

• First Horizon Corp significantly boosted its UPS stake in the first quarter, increasing holdings by 954.7% to 15,187 shares worth about $1.49 million.
• Wall Street sentiment is mixed but generally constructive: Citi raised its UPS price target to $132 and Stephens upgraded the stock to strong-buy, while the consensus rating remains Hold with an average target of $111.10.
• UPS reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.07 topping estimates and revenue of $21.20 billion exceeding forecasts, and it also paid a quarterly dividend of $1.64 per share for a 5.8% yield.

First Horizon Corp raised its position in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 954.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 15,187 shares of the transportation company's stock after acquiring an additional 13,747 shares during the period. First Horizon Corp's holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $1,494,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cherry Creek Investment Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 2.3% during the 1st quarter. Cherry Creek Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 25,397 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $2,499,000 after purchasing an additional 569 shares during the period. Kestra Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in United Parcel Service by 11.0% in the first quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 362,749 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $35,687,000 after buying an additional 36,017 shares during the period. Money Concepts Capital Corp raised its holdings in United Parcel Service by 75.8% in the first quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 4,766 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $469,000 after buying an additional 2,055 shares during the period. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV acquired a new position in United Parcel Service during the first quarter valued at approximately $366,000. Finally, Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its position in United Parcel Service by 0.6% during the first quarter. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 239,431 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $23,402,000 after buying an additional 1,522 shares in the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. UBS Group decreased their price objective 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. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a "hold (c)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Susquehanna lifted their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $127.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Stephens upgraded United Parcel Service to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $111.10.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

United Parcel Service stock opened at $112.61 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $95.72 billion, a PE ratio of 18.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.76 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's 50 day moving average price is $105.35 and its 200 day moving average price is $105.59. 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 (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last issued 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. The company had revenue of $21.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.99 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 5.94% and a return on equity of 35.95%. United Parcel Service's revenue for the quarter was down 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.49 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

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

Key Stories Impacting United Parcel Service

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 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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