Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. Decreases Stock Position in United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

Key Points

• Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. has decreased its stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS) by 48.7%, selling 26,234 shares and now holding a total of 27,630 shares valued at approximately $3,039,000.
• CEO Carol B. Tome and Director William R. Johnson made significant stock purchases, increasing their ownership by 89.61% and 96.90%, respectively, indicating confidence in the company’s future.
• UPS is currently trading at $86.52, reflecting a 2.2% drop, with recent earnings showing a slight miss against analyst estimates, and the company has declared a quarterly dividend of $1.64 per share.

Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. lessened its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 48.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 27,630 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 26,234 shares during the quarter. Tocqueville Asset Management L.P.'s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $3,039,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Pinney & Scofield Inc. bought a new stake in United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC acquired a new position in United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. acquired a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service during the first quarter worth $26,000. Marshall & Sterling Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in United Parcel Service during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Citizens National Bank Trust Department lifted its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 210 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 60.26% of the company's stock.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

UPS traded up $1.2070 on Tuesday, hitting $87.7170. 7,213,793 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,459,596. The company has a quick ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51. The company has a 50 day moving average of $96.98 and a 200-day moving average of $102.54. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12-month low of $84.28 and a 12-month high of $145.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $74.35 billion, a PE ratio of 13.05, a PEG ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.12.

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 net margin of 6.34% and a return on equity of 39.61%. The business had revenue of $21.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $20.90 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.79 EPS. United Parcel Service's revenue for the quarter was down 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 earnings per share for the current year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 4th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 18th will be issued a $1.64 dividend. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.5%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 18th. United Parcel Service's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 97.62%.

Insider Transactions at United Parcel Service

In other United Parcel Service news, Director William R. Johnson bought 5,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 31st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $86.50 per share, for a total transaction of $432,500.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 10,160 shares of the company's stock, valued at $878,840. The trade was a 96.90% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Carol B. Tome bought 11,682 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 1st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $85.67 per share, with a total value of $1,000,796.94. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 24,718 shares in the company, valued at $2,117,591.06. The trade was a 89.61% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on UPS shares. Loop Capital reduced their price target on United Parcel Service from $115.00 to $105.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on United Parcel Service from $98.00 to $91.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut 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 research report on Tuesday, July 8th. Oppenheimer lowered their price objective on United Parcel Service from $114.00 to $100.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. Finally, Galvan Research reduced their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $126.00 to $124.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, June 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, sixteen have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $112.81.

About United Parcel Service

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.