United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Shares Up 1.3%

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) shares shot up 1.3% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $150.20 and last traded at $149.23. 724,131 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 82% from the average session volume of 4,093,359 shares. The stock had previously closed at $147.37.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UPS has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. HSBC upgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their price target for the company from $150.00 to $170.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. Raymond James reduced their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $185.00 to $175.00 and set a "strong-buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 31st. Evercore ISI reaffirmed an "in-line" rating and set a $154.00 price target on shares of United Parcel Service in a report on Wednesday, March 27th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $165.00 to $169.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 24th. Finally, Argus cut United Parcel Service from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have issued a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $165.23.

United Parcel Service Stock Up 2.2 %

The firm has a market cap of $128.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.74, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.05. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $149.34 and a 200 day moving average of $150.52. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.33 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $21.70 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.84 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.60% and a return on equity of 37.42%. The company's quarterly revenue was down 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.20 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 8.22 earnings per share for the current year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 30th. Investors of record on Monday, May 13th will be given a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.33%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 10th. United Parcel Service's payout ratio is 94.49%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Parcel Service

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in United Parcel Service by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 17,530 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $2,756,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. First Financial Corp IN grew its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 24.2% in the 4th quarter. First Financial Corp IN now owns 334 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Gleason Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Gleason Group Inc. now owns 6,351 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $999,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Cullen Investment Group LTD. grew its position in United Parcel Service by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Cullen Investment Group LTD. now owns 9,921 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $1,480,000 after purchasing an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Advisors Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 0.5% during the third quarter. Advisors Capital Management LLC now owns 15,085 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $2,351,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.26% of the company's stock.

United Parcel Service Company Profile

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.

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