United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Sets New 12-Month Low - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• United Parcel Service (UPS) shares have reached a 52-week low of $82.00, signaling potential concerns among investors as the stock fluctuated around $83.87 during recent trading.
• Analyst ratings have been mixed, with a consensus rating of "Hold" and a price target adjusted downward to $112.34 from various analysts, indicating cautious optimism amid recent performance declines.
• UPS reported a quarterly EPS of $1.55, missing estimates slightly, and a revenue of $21.20 billion, marking a 2.7% decline compared to the previous year.

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $82.00 and last traded at $83.87, with a volume of 1836908 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $83.85.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on UPS shares. Galvan Research decreased their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $126.00 to $124.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, June 30th. Evercore ISI reduced their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $103.00 to $97.00 and set an "in-line" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Susquehanna reduced their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $110.00 to $100.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Truist Financial reduced their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $130.00 to $120.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Finally, BNP Paribas raised shares of United Parcel Service to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, July 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $112.34.

United Parcel Service Stock Up 0.4%

The firm's 50-day moving average price is $92.01 and its 200 day moving average price is $99.41. The company has a market capitalization of $71.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.54, a PEG ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51.

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

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 4th. Investors of record on Monday, August 18th were given a dividend of $1.64 per share. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.8%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 18th. United Parcel Service's dividend payout ratio is currently 97.62%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Christiana Smith Shi acquired 500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 22nd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $88.17 per share, for a total transaction of $44,085.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 500 shares in the company, valued at $44,085. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Carol B. Tome acquired 11,682 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 1st. The shares were bought at an average price of $85.67 per share, with a total value of $1,000,796.94. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 24,718 shares in the company, valued at $2,117,591.06. This represents a 89.61% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders purchased a total of 17,182 shares of company stock worth $1,477,382 in the last three months. 0.13% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Parcel Service

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UPS. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in United Parcel Service by 63.8% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 12,126 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $1,529,000 after acquiring an additional 4,723 shares during the period. Gotham Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 103.9% in the 4th quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC now owns 50,757 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $6,400,000 after purchasing an additional 25,861 shares during the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 52.1% in the 4th quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 5,375 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $677,000 after purchasing an additional 1,842 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 10.2% in the 4th quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 108,976 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $13,736,000 after purchasing an additional 10,074 shares during the last quarter. Finally, OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 21.0% in the 4th quarter. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp now owns 30,334 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $3,825,000 after purchasing an additional 5,257 shares during the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.

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