United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS Stake Lowered by Epoch Investment Partners Inc.

Key Points

• Epoch Investment Partners reduced its UPS stake by 3.6% in the fourth quarter, selling 20,273 shares and leaving it with 536,276 shares valued at about $53.2 million.
• Institutional ownership remains heavy, with several large investors adding to or initiating positions, and 60.26% of UPS stock is owned by institutions.
• UPS reported quarterly EPS of $1.07 and revenue of $21.20 billion, both slightly above estimates, while analysts currently rate the stock a consensus “Hold” with an average price target of $111.50.

Epoch Investment Partners Inc. cut its stake in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 3.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 536,276 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 20,273 shares during the quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. owned approximately 0.06% of United Parcel Service worth $53,193,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in UPS. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $902,446,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings 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 valued at $1,370,639,000 after purchasing an additional 5,826,824 shares during the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 507.8% during the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 3,244,234 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $321,796,000 after purchasing an additional 2,710,470 shares during the last quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $181,951,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 68,496,420 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $6,794,160,000 after purchasing an additional 1,218,432 shares during the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on UPS shares. Susquehanna upped their target price on United Parcel Service from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Evercore lowered their target price on United Parcel Service from $115.00 to $113.00 and set an "in-line" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. UBS Group lowered their target price on United Parcel Service from $125.00 to $123.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on United Parcel Service from $118.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded United Parcel Service from a "hold (c)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, United Parcel Service has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $111.50.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE UPS opened at $107.96 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $103.23 and a 200-day simple moving average of $104.13. The company has a market cap of $91.76 billion, a PE ratio of 17.47, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.05. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12-month low of $82.00 and a 12-month high of $122.41.

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, topping the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $21.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.99 billion. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 35.95% and a net margin of 5.94%.The business's revenue was down 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.49 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.1 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 4th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 18th were given a dividend of $1.64 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 18th. This represents a $6.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.1%. United Parcel Service's payout ratio is currently 106.15%.

United Parcel Service News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: UPS shares have been boosted by a broader bullish take on the stock after the Fed’s rate-cut pivot, with some investors viewing UPS as an attractive cyclical income play with a high dividend yield. A Dramatic Fed Pivot Just Unlocked a New Era of Growth for UPS
• Positive Sentiment: UPS-owned Roadie announced a same-day delivery partnership with Omaha Steaks ahead of Father’s Day, highlighting growth in its last-mile and same-day delivery services. From Cart to Cookout: Omaha Steaks and Roadie Power Same-Day Delivery for Father’s Day
• Neutral Sentiment: UPS was also the subject of valuation and stock-performance commentary, with some analysts questioning whether the recent pullback created a better long-term entry point rather than pointing to a new fundamental problem. Is It Time To Reconsider UPS NYSE: UPS After Recent Share Price Weakness?
• Neutral Sentiment: UPS met its deadline for retrofitting delivery vans with air conditioning, easing one labor-related pressure point after Teamsters scrutiny, though the issue also underscores ongoing union oversight. UPS meets deadline for retrofitting delivery vans with air conditioning
• Negative Sentiment: Separate UK news about a parcel delivery firm “evaluating options” for a depot closure and 3,000 jobs at risk adds to concerns about softness or restructuring pressures in the parcel-delivery industry, which could weigh on sentiment toward UPS. Massive parcel delivery firm could shut UK depot as it ‘evaluates options’ – with 3,000 jobs at risk
• Negative Sentiment: Some market commentary still frames UPS as a large-cap stock with limited growth runway, and recent coverage has also highlighted weakness in the shares over the past week. 3 Large-Cap Stocks That Concern Us

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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