Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH) Earns "Hold" Rating from Stifel Nicolaus

Stifel Nicolaus reissued their hold rating on shares of Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH - Free Report) in a research note released on Monday, Marketbeat.com reports. The brokerage currently has a $46.00 price objective on the transportation company's stock, up from their prior price objective of $36.00.

Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of Universal Logistics from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday.

Universal Logistics Trading Down 1.1 %

ULH stock traded down $0.49 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $45.35. The company's stock had a trading volume of 181,203 shares, compared to its average volume of 37,561. Universal Logistics has a 52 week low of $20.85 and a 52 week high of $48.63. The stock has a market cap of $1.19 billion, a PE ratio of 9.71 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a quick ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $34.70 and its 200-day simple moving average is $29.65.

Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 15th. The transportation company reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.71 by $0.10. Universal Logistics had a net margin of 7.02% and a return on equity of 23.60%. The firm had revenue of $390.92 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $377.30 million. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Universal Logistics will post 3.65 EPS for the current year.

Universal Logistics Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 1st. Investors of record on Monday, June 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.105 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 3rd. This represents a $0.42 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.93%. Universal Logistics's payout ratio is 9.17%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal Logistics

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ULH. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC raised its holdings in shares of Universal Logistics by 13.0% during the third quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 14,514 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $365,000 after acquiring an additional 1,674 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in Universal Logistics by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 169,090 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $4,258,000 after buying an additional 1,560 shares during the last quarter. Seizert Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in Universal Logistics by 21.5% in the 3rd quarter. Seizert Capital Partners LLC now owns 12,184 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $307,000 after buying an additional 2,157 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC increased its stake in Universal Logistics by 5.6% in the 3rd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 41,945 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $1,056,000 after buying an additional 2,223 shares during the last quarter. Finally, DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale acquired a new stake in Universal Logistics in the 3rd quarter valued at $171,000. 25.50% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Universal Logistics Company Profile

Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc provides transportation and logistics solutions in the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Colombia. The company offers truckload services, which include dry van, flatbed, heavy-haul, and refrigerated operations; domestic and international freight forwarding, and customs brokerage services.