United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS Shares Sold by AustralianSuper Pty Ltd

Key Points

• AustralianSuper cut its UPS stake by 31.8%, selling 24,769 shares and leaving 53,002 shares worth about $4.43M; overall, institutional investors own roughly 60.26% of the stock.
• Quarterly results beat expectations — UPS posted $2.38 EPS versus $2.20 expected and $24.48B in revenue vs. $23.91B expected, though revenue was down 3.2% year‑over‑year.
• Dividend and market stance: UPS declared a $1.64 quarterly dividend (annualized $6.56, ~5.9% yield, 100% payout ratio); the stock trades around $110.52 and holds a consensus "Hold" rating with a $113.67 target.

AustralianSuper Pty Ltd lessened its position in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 31.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 53,002 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 24,769 shares during the period. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd's holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $4,427,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of UPS. Andra AP fonden lifted its stake in United Parcel Service by 95.9% during the second quarter. Andra AP fonden now owns 332,983 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $33,611,000 after purchasing an additional 163,000 shares during the last quarter. BLVD Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,479,000. Strategic Planning Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $3,885,000. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 14.6% in the 2nd quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 94,361 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $9,525,000 after buying an additional 12,035 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Equity Investment Corp grew its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 16.8% in the 2nd quarter. Equity Investment Corp now owns 1,130,550 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $114,118,000 after buying an additional 162,364 shares during the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Parcel Service Trading Down 2.4%

NYSE:UPS opened at $110.52 on Thursday. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12-month low of $82.00 and a 12-month high of $123.70. The company has a current ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $109.98 and its 200-day simple moving average is $97.31. The firm has a market cap of $93.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.85, a PEG ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.08.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The transportation company reported $2.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.20 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $24.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.91 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.28% and a return on equity of 38.30%. United Parcel Service's quarterly revenue was down 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.75 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be issued a $1.64 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $6.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.9%. United Parcel Service's payout ratio is presently 100.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UPS has been the subject of a number of research reports. Evercore boosted their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $94.00 to $113.00 and gave the company an "in-line" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. HSBC raised United Parcel Service from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Truist Financial raised their price target on United Parcel Service from $120.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on United Parcel Service from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Bank of America raised United Parcel Service from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $114.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday, January 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $113.67.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 25,014 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.15, for a total transaction of $2,655,236.10. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About United Parcel Service

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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