Citigroup Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Stock

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) had its target price upped by Citigroup from $122.00 to $127.00 in a research report report published on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a buy rating on the transportation company's stock.

A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on UPS. Raymond James Financial reduced their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $145.00 to $130.00 and set a "strong-buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Susquehanna decreased their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $120.00 to $110.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. Oppenheimer lowered their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $126.00 to $114.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. BNP Paribas Exane upgraded shares of United Parcel Service from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $100.00 target price for the company in a report on Thursday, July 3rd. Finally, Loop Capital lowered their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $115.00 to $105.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have given a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $119.13.

United Parcel Service Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of UPS traded down $1.18 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $101.74. 1,249,749 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,236,313. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24. United Parcel Service has a 1 year low of $90.55 and a 1 year high of $148.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $86.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.83, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.21. The business's 50-day moving average price is $99.32 and its 200-day moving average price is $109.23.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The transportation company reported $1.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.38 by $0.11. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 40.15% and a net margin of 6.44%. The firm had revenue of $21.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $21.25 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.43 earnings per share. The business's revenue was down .9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that United Parcel Service will post 7.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 19th were given a dividend of $1.64 per share. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.45%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 19th. United Parcel Service's payout ratio is 95.63%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Parcel Service

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Garde Capital Inc. bought a new position in United Parcel Service in the 1st quarter worth $37,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 61.3% in the 1st quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,576 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $173,000 after buying an additional 599 shares during the period. CWA Asset Management Group LLC boosted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 5.9% in the 1st quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 3,467 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $381,000 after buying an additional 193 shares during the period. Advisor Resource Council bought a new position in United Parcel Service in the 1st quarter worth $437,000. Finally, Clark Capital Management Group Inc. lifted its stake in United Parcel Service by 14.4% in the 4th quarter. Clark Capital Management Group Inc. now owns 11,427 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $1,441,000 after purchasing an additional 1,440 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 60.26% of the company's stock.

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.