United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Rating Lowered to "Sell" at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) was downgraded by Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating.
• A number of analysts have issued varying ratings on UPS, with one analyst rating it as Strong Buy while others have set price targets ranging from $83.00 to $150.00.
• Insider purchases have increased significantly, with both the CEO and a director buying shares, indicating confidence in the company's future despite the downgrade.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) was downgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

Several other research firms have also weighed in on UPS. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $98.00 to $91.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Truist Financial reduced their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $130.00 to $120.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. Oppenheimer reduced their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $114.00 to $100.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. Wolfe Research reduced their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $113.00 to $112.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 1st. Finally, Galvan Research reduced their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $126.00 to $124.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, June 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, United Parcel Service has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $111.44.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

Shares of UPS traded down $0.91 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $84.14. The stock had a trading volume of 18,090,067 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,575,006. The company's fifty day moving average is $89.48 and its two-hundred day moving average is $97.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.32. United Parcel Service has a 52 week low of $82.00 and a 52 week high of $145.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $71.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.52, a P/E/G ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.08.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The transportation company reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.56 by ($0.01). United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 39.61% and a net margin of 6.34%.The firm had revenue of $21.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.90 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.79 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service will post 7.95 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other United Parcel Service news, Director Christiana Smith Shi purchased 500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 22nd. The stock was bought at an average cost of $88.17 per share, with a total value of $44,085.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 500 shares of the company's stock, valued at $44,085. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director William R. Johnson purchased 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 31st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $86.50 per share, with a total value of $432,500.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 10,160 shares in the company, valued at approximately $878,840. This represents a 96.90% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last three months, insiders acquired 17,182 shares of company stock valued at $1,477,382. 0.13% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Parcel Service

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Evelyn Partners Investment Management Europe Ltd grew its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 110.1% during the 2nd quarter. Evelyn Partners Investment Management Europe Ltd now owns 250 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 131 shares in the last quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. bought a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Mid American Wealth Advisory Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Pinney & Scofield Inc. bought a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Citizens National Bank Trust Department grew its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 525.0% during the 1st quarter. Citizens National Bank Trust Department now owns 250 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

United Parcel Service Company 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.