Aquatic Capital Management LLC Purchases 68,007 Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Aquatic Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 145.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 114,807 shares of the transportation company's stock after purchasing an additional 68,007 shares during the quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC's holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $14,477,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in United Parcel Service by 4.3% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 829,280 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $113,064,000 after purchasing an additional 33,989 shares during the last quarter. Onyx Bridge Wealth Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter valued at $461,000. Synovus Financial Corp boosted its stake in United Parcel Service by 8.6% in the 3rd quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 87,531 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $11,934,000 after purchasing an additional 6,941 shares during the period. HF Advisory Group LLC acquired a new position in United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter worth $1,305,000. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its stake in United Parcel Service by 27.2% in the 4th quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 131,623 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $16,304,000 after purchasing an additional 28,108 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 60.26% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on UPS shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 7th. Baird R W downgraded United Parcel Service from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Citigroup reduced their target price on United Parcel Service from $149.00 to $123.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their target price on United Parcel Service from $166.00 to $147.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company restated an "equal weight" rating and issued a $98.00 price target (down from $120.00) on shares of United Parcel Service in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $124.82.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

UPS traded down $2.38 on Wednesday, reaching $94.35. The stock had a trading volume of 2,732,326 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,411,246. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $90.55 and a fifty-two week high of $153.42. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $107.82 and a 200-day moving average of $120.97. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16. The company has a market capitalization of $80.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.10.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The transportation company reported $1.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.11. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 39.13% and a net margin of 6.35%. The business had revenue of $21.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $21.25 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.43 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was down .9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 6th. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 6.95%. This is an increase 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 97.04%.

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.