Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH) Shares Gap Down on Disappointing Earnings

Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:ULH - Get Free Report)'s stock price gapped down prior to trading on Friday after the company announced weaker than expected quarterly earnings. The stock had previously closed at $26.81, but opened at $22.98. Universal Logistics shares last traded at $25.07, with a volume of 9,275 shares.

The transportation company reported $0.23 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.48 by ($0.25). Universal Logistics had a net margin of 7.04% and a return on equity of 21.37%. The business had revenue of $382.39 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $400.60 million.

Universal Logistics Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.105 per share. This represents a $0.42 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.95%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 2nd. Universal Logistics's payout ratio is 13.21%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently weighed in on ULH. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on Universal Logistics from $37.00 to $29.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. StockNews.com lowered shares of Universal Logistics from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Monday.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal Logistics

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. FMR LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Universal Logistics by 15.2% in the 4th quarter. FMR LLC now owns 2,924,397 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $134,347,000 after purchasing an additional 386,538 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in Universal Logistics by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 855,212 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $39,289,000 after buying an additional 8,578 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its position in shares of Universal Logistics by 10.2% in the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 231,617 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $10,640,000 after buying an additional 21,516 shares during the period. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Universal Logistics by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 214,321 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $9,846,000 after buying an additional 977 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Universal Logistics by 2.3% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 183,374 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $7,907,000 after buying an additional 4,130 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 25.50% of the company's stock.

Universal Logistics Price Performance

The company's 50-day simple moving average is $26.27 and its 200 day simple moving average is $38.10. The company has a quick ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $567.92 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.37 and a beta of 0.92.

About Universal Logistics

Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc provides transportation and logistics solutions in the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Colombia. The company offers truckload services, which include dry van, flatbed, heavy-haul, and refrigerated operations; domestic and international freight forwarding, and customs brokerage services.