Zacks Investment Management Raises Holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Zacks Investment Management increased its stake in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 29.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 252,117 shares of the transportation company's stock after purchasing an additional 57,543 shares during the period. Zacks Investment Management's holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $31,792,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. IMG Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Generali Investments Management Co LLC purchased a new position in United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. IFS Advisors LLC grew its position in United Parcel Service by 232.3% in the 4th quarter. IFS Advisors LLC now owns 216 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 151 shares in the last quarter. Runnymede Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in United Parcel Service during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.26% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Evercore ISI increased their price objective on United Parcel Service from $141.00 to $147.00 and gave the company an "in-line" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Baird R W downgraded United Parcel Service from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Galvan Research cut their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $147.00 to $133.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of United Parcel Service in a research report on Friday, March 7th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $119.00 price objective on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating, fourteen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $129.70.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

UPS stock traded up $2.14 on Friday, hitting $96.34. The company's stock had a trading volume of 4,738,497 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,830,502. The stock has a market cap of $82.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.10. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $110.40 and a two-hundred day moving average of $122.66. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 1 year low of $90.55 and a 1 year high of $153.42.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The transportation company reported $2.75 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.52 by $0.23. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.35% and a return on equity of 39.13%. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.47 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 6th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th were given a dividend of $1.64 per share. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.81%. This is a boost from United Parcel Service's previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 18th. United Parcel Service's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 97.04%.

United Parcel Service 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.