United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) Given Average Recommendation of "Hold" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Analyst consensus: 27 brokerages give UPS an average rating of "Hold" (3 sell, 14 hold, 9 buy, 1 strong buy) with a 12‑month average price target of $113.03.
• Recent quarter: UPS beat expectations with EPS of $2.38 vs. $2.20 est. and revenue of $24.48B (vs. $23.91B est.), though revenue was down 3.2% year‑over‑year; net margin was 6.28% and ROE 38.3%.
• Income and insider note: UPS pays a quarterly dividend of $1.64 ($6.56 annualized) implying a 6.1% yield with a 100% payout ratio, and insider Norman M. Brothers Jr. sold 25,014 shares (~$2.66M); insiders hold 0.19% of shares.

Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) have been assigned an average rating of "Hold" from the twenty-seven brokerages that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, fourteen have issued a hold recommendation, nine have assigned a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $113.0345.

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. Susquehanna upped their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $105.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Truist Financial increased their target price on United Parcel Service from $120.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their target price on United Parcel Service from $122.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Citigroup lowered their target price on United Parcel Service from $120.00 to $118.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, UBS Group increased their target price on United Parcel Service from $116.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th.

Insider Transactions at United Parcel Service

In other United Parcel Service news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 25,014 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.15, for a total transaction of $2,655,236.10. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.19% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Parcel Service

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Potomac Fund Management Inc. ADV boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Potomac Fund Management Inc. ADV now owns 11,324 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $1,123,000 after buying an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Westbourne Investments Inc. boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Westbourne Investments Inc. now owns 7,876 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $781,000 after buying an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Ipsen Advisor Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Ipsen Advisor Group LLC now owns 5,670 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $562,000 after buying an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. Webster Bank N. A. boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 16.7% during the 4th quarter. Webster Bank N. A. now owns 698 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $69,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Peoples Financial Services CORP. boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Peoples Financial Services CORP. now owns 4,030 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $400,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 60.26% of the company's stock.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

UPS opened at $107.04 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45. United Parcel Service has a 12 month low of $82.00 and a 12 month high of $122.41. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $105.23 and a 200 day simple moving average of $100.70. The stock has a market cap of $90.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.32, a P/E/G ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 1.12.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The transportation company reported $2.38 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.20 by $0.18. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.28% and a return on equity of 38.30%. The business had revenue of $24.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $23.91 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.75 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that United Parcel Service will post 7.07 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 5th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th were issued a dividend of $1.64 per share. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.1%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 17th. United Parcel Service's dividend payout ratio is 100.00%.

About United Parcel Service

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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