United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Stock Rating Upgraded by Stephens

Key Points

• Stephens upgraded UPS to a “strong-buy” rating, adding to a mixed set of Wall Street views that still leaves the stock with an overall “Hold” consensus and an average target price of $110.85.
• UPS reported solid quarterly results, posting earnings of $1.07 per share and revenue of $21.20 billion, both ahead of analyst expectations, even though revenue fell 1.4% year over year.
• The stock traded down 1.8% to open at $110.00, with shares sitting near the middle of their 12-month range and supported by ongoing institutional ownership of about 60.26%.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Stephens to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

UPS has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $118.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $125.00 to $123.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Susquehanna lifted their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a "hold (c)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Evercore decreased their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $115.00 to $113.00 and set an "in-line" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $110.85.

United Parcel Service Trading Down 1.8%

Shares of UPS stock opened at $110.00 on Wednesday. United Parcel Service has a 12-month low of $82.00 and a 12-month high of $122.41. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $105.09 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $105.48. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50. The company has a market capitalization of $93.50 billion, a PE ratio of 17.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.05.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The transportation company reported $1.07 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $21.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $20.99 billion. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 35.95% and a net margin of 5.94%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.49 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that United Parcel Service will post 7.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Parcel Service

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. acquired a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. acquired a new stake in United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Coston McIsaac & Partners grew its position in United Parcel Service by 77.8% in the fourth quarter. Coston McIsaac & Partners now owns 272 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 119 shares during the last quarter. Torren Management LLC bought a new position in United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in United Parcel Service during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Parcel Service Company Profile

United Parcel Service NYSE: UPS is a global package delivery and supply chain management company that provides a broad range of transportation, logistics and e-commerce services. Its core business centers on small-package delivery and last-mile distribution for business and individual customers, supported by a network of ground transportation, air cargo operations (UPS Airlines) and sorting facilities. In addition to parcel delivery, UPS offers freight transportation, contract logistics, warehousing, customs brokerage and reverse-logistics solutions designed to support domestic and international commerce.

The company traces its roots to 1907 when it began as a small messenger service in the United States and later evolved into the United Parcel Service.

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