Ultrapar Participacoes S.A. (NYSE:UGP) Given Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts give Ultrapar Participacoes a “Moderate Buy” consensus: Four analysts rate the stock as a hold, two as a buy, and one as a strong buy. The average 12-month price target is $6.32, compared with a recent price of $6.12.
• Recent ratings have generally improved, with Bank of America upgrading the stock to buy and raising its target to $7.40, while UBS lifted its target to $7.20 and Wall Street Zen upgraded the shares to strong buy.
• Several major institutional investors increased their positions, including Deutsche Bank, Millennium Management, Goldman Sachs, and UBS; however, institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own only 3.58% of the company.

Shares of Ultrapar Participacoes S.A. (NYSE:UGP - Get Free Report) have received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the seven brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $6.32.

A number of research firms recently issued reports on UGP. Bank of America raised Ultrapar Participacoes from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $6.80 to $7.40 in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Ultrapar Participacoes in a research note on Monday, June 8th. UBS Group increased their price target on Ultrapar Participacoes from $7.00 to $7.20 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 17th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Ultrapar Participacoes from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ultrapar Participacoes

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Deutsche Bank AG raised its position in Ultrapar Participacoes by 42,357.3% during the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 2,147,914 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $8,098,000 after buying an additional 2,142,855 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC boosted its position in Ultrapar Participacoes by 306.4% during the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 2,796,662 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $11,466,000 after acquiring an additional 2,108,543 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its stake in Ultrapar Participacoes by 98.2% during the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 4,214,612 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $15,889,000 after acquiring an additional 2,087,852 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can purchased a new position in Ultrapar Participacoes during the 4th quarter valued at about $6,876,000. Finally, UBS Group AG increased its holdings in shares of Ultrapar Participacoes by 131.9% in the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 2,890,033 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $11,849,000 after purchasing an additional 1,643,562 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 3.58% of the company's stock.

Ultrapar Participacoes Stock Up 0.0%

UGP opened at $6.12 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $6.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.24, a P/E/G ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.67 and a quick ratio of 1.30. Ultrapar Participacoes has a 12 month low of $3.00 and a 12 month high of $6.59. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $5.54 and its 200 day moving average price is $5.43.

Ultrapar Participacoes Company Profile

Ultrapar Participações SA is a Brazilian diversified holding company operating in the downstream energy and chemical sectors. Its Ipiranga unit runs one of Brazil's largest networks of fuel stations, supplying gasoline, ethanol, diesel and convenience-store products to retail and wholesale customers. Through Ultragaz, the company is a leading distributor of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), offering cylinder and bulk gas solutions for residential, commercial and industrial use across urban and rural regions.

In the specialty chemicals arena, Ultrapar controls Oxiteno, which produces surfactants and specialty chemical formulations for industries such as personal care, oil and gas, agrochemicals and coatings.

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