Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH) Stock Price Down 4.8% - What's Next?

Key Points

• ULH fell 4.8% to about $20.80 on Tuesday, with only ~16,041 shares traded—roughly 69% below its average daily volume of 51,540.
• Analysts are mixed but cautious: MarketBeat shows a consensus "Hold" rating with an average price target of $20.00 (ratings split: 1 Strong Buy, 1 Hold, 1 Sell).
• In the last reported quarter Universal Logistics beat estimates (EPS $0.14 vs ($0.05) expected; revenue $385.43M vs $376.10M); the company has a $551M market cap, a negative net margin, and pays a $0.105 quarterly dividend (~2.0% yield).

Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:ULH - Get Free Report)'s stock price dropped 4.8% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $20.93 and last traded at $20.7980. Approximately 16,041 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 69% from the average daily volume of 51,540 shares. The stock had previously closed at $21.84.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on Universal Logistics from $17.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Zacks Research upgraded Universal Logistics from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Wall Street Zen raised Universal Logistics from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d)" rating on shares of Universal Logistics in a research note on Friday, March 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $20.00.

Universal Logistics Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $551.24 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -9.70 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a current ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. The company's 50 day moving average is $18.06 and its 200 day moving average is $17.36.

Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, March 13th. The transportation company reported $0.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.05) by $0.19. Universal Logistics had a positive return on equity of 4.13% and a negative net margin of 3.64%.The company had revenue of $385.43 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $376.10 million. Research analysts anticipate that Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. will post 2.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Universal Logistics Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, March 23rd were paid a dividend of $0.105 per share. This represents a $0.42 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 23rd. Universal Logistics's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -19.53%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal Logistics

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State of Alaska Department of Revenue acquired a new position in shares of Universal Logistics in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its stake in Universal Logistics by 102.3% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,428 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 722 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its position in Universal Logistics by 403.5% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,130 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 1,707 shares during the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new position in Universal Logistics during the 3rd quarter worth $102,000. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company MN increased its stake in Universal Logistics by 46.2% in the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 7,579 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $115,000 after purchasing an additional 2,396 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 25.50% of the company's stock.

About Universal Logistics

Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc is a diversified, asset-light third-party logistics provider offering transportation and supply chain solutions across North America and around the globe. Its service portfolio encompasses truckload, less-than-truckload, intermodal, and specialized freight services, supported by dedicated brokerage, warehousing, and distribution management capabilities.

Originally incorporated as Universal Truckload Services, Inc, the company has evolved beyond its core truckload heritage to a one-stop logistics platform.

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