World Investment Advisors Grows Stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

Key Points

• World Investment Advisors nearly doubled its UPS stake in the fourth quarter, increasing holdings by 99.8% to 157,033 shares valued at about $15.6 million.
• Several other institutional investors also adjusted positions in UPS, and hedge funds and other institutions now own 60.26% of the stock.
• UPS reported quarterly EPS of $1.07, beating expectations, while revenue came in at $21.20 billion; the company also declared a $1.64 quarterly dividend for a 6.7% annualized yield.

World Investment Advisors grew its holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 99.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 157,033 shares of the transportation company's stock after buying an additional 78,456 shares during the quarter. World Investment Advisors' holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $15,576,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Seelaus Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 9.4% in the 4th quarter. Seelaus Asset Management LLC now owns 4,340 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $431,000 after purchasing an additional 374 shares during the period. Investors Asset Management of Georgia Inc. GA ADV lifted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. Investors Asset Management of Georgia Inc. GA ADV now owns 16,170 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $1,604,000 after purchasing an additional 664 shares during the period. Englebert Financial Advisers LLC purchased a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $664,000. Bailard Inc. lifted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 392.6% in the 4th quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 23,404 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $2,321,000 after purchasing an additional 18,653 shares during the period. Finally, ABC Arbitrage SA purchased a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $411,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 60.26% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on UPS. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on United Parcel Service from $88.00 to $106.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Stephens raised their target price on United Parcel Service from $113.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Weiss Ratings cut United Parcel Service from a "hold (c)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on United Parcel Service from $96.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on United Parcel Service from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $111.87.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

UPS opened at $98.48 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $101.53 and a 200-day moving average price of $102.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50, a current ratio of 1.21 and a quick ratio of 1.21. The firm has a market cap of $83.62 billion, a PE ratio of 15.93, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.06. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 1 year low of $82.00 and a 1 year high of $122.41.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 firm had revenue of $21.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.99 billion. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 35.95% and a net margin of 5.94%.United Parcel Service's quarterly revenue was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.49 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 18th will be issued a $1.64 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 18th. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.7%. United Parcel Service's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 106.15%.

United Parcel Service Company 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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