United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) Declares Quarterly Dividend of $1.64

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) declared a quarterly dividend on Thursday, May 8th, Wall Street Journal reports. Investors of record on Monday, May 19th will be paid a dividend of 1.64 per share by the transportation company on Thursday, June 5th. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.84%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 19th.

United Parcel Service has raised its dividend payment by an average of 16.9% per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend every year for the last 16 years. United Parcel Service has a dividend payout ratio of 82.4% meaning its dividend is currently covered by earnings, but may not be in the future if the company's earnings decline. Research analysts expect United Parcel Service to earn $8.77 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $6.56 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 74.8%.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

Shares of UPS traded down $1.03 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $95.92. 5,616,665 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,022,491. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $104.28 and its 200-day simple moving average is $118.84. United Parcel Service has a 52-week low of $90.55 and a 52-week high of $153.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $81.93 billion, a PE ratio of 14.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 1.14.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 29th. The transportation company reported $1.49 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.38 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $21.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.25 billion. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 39.13% and a net margin of 6.35%. The firm's revenue was down .9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.43 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that United Parcel Service will post 7.95 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of United Parcel Service

A hedge fund recently raised its stake in United Parcel Service stock. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 63.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 12,126 shares of the transportation company's stock after purchasing an additional 4,723 shares during the period. Brighton Jones LLC's holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $1,529,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UPS has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an "equal weight" rating and set a $98.00 price target (down from $120.00) on shares of United Parcel Service in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Susquehanna lowered their price target on United Parcel Service from $120.00 to $110.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on United Parcel Service from $166.00 to $147.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Loop Capital decreased their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $115.00 to $105.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. Finally, Oppenheimer lowered their target price on United Parcel Service from $126.00 to $114.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have assigned a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, United Parcel Service has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $120.87.

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.