United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Trading 0.9% Higher - Should You Buy?

Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) rose 0.9% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $98.20 and last traded at $98.13. Approximately 1,268,358 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 74% from the average daily volume of 4,810,147 shares. The stock had previously closed at $97.21.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have issued reports on UPS shares. Truist Financial cut their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $140.00 to $130.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $141.00 to $127.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 7th. Galvan Research cut their price objective on United Parcel Service from $147.00 to $133.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Finally, Susquehanna decreased their target price on United Parcel Service from $130.00 to $120.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $126.41.

United Parcel Service Trading Down 1.0 %

The company has a market cap of $82.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.33, a PEG ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $108.58 and its 200-day simple moving average is $121.40.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The transportation company reported $2.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.52 by $0.23. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 39.13% and a net margin of 6.35%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.47 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 6th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 18th were paid a dividend of $1.64 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.77%. This is a positive change from United Parcel Service's previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. United Parcel Service's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 97.04%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 65,136,394 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $8,213,699,000 after buying an additional 370,705 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 6.1% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 23,264,665 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $2,933,674,000 after purchasing an additional 1,337,058 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 15,704,334 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $1,979,695,000 after purchasing an additional 414,710 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 15.6% during the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 10,979,909 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $1,384,567,000 after purchasing an additional 1,484,452 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FMR LLC grew its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. FMR LLC now owns 10,895,828 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $1,373,964,000 after purchasing an additional 268,278 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.26% of the company's stock.

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.