Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC Lowers Holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC lessened its holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 3.5% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 13,735 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 500 shares during the period. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $1,732,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of UPS. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in United Parcel Service by 6.1% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 23,264,665 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,933,674,000 after buying an additional 1,337,058 shares during the period. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 70,388 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $8,876,000 after purchasing an additional 2,315 shares during the period. Woodley Farra Manion Portfolio Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 4.5% in the fourth quarter. Woodley Farra Manion Portfolio Management Inc. now owns 21,868 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,758,000 after purchasing an additional 950 shares in the last quarter. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in United Parcel Service by 22.9% during the 4th quarter. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,528 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $445,000 after buying an additional 657 shares during the period. Finally, Plato Investment Management Ltd lifted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 13.6% during the 4th quarter. Plato Investment Management Ltd now owns 2,768 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $350,000 after buying an additional 331 shares in the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UPS opened at $116.79 on Wednesday. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 52 week low of $109.40 and a 52 week high of $158.95. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $122.09 and a 200 day moving average price of $127.94. The company has a market cap of $99.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.28, a PEG ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The transportation company reported $2.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 business posted $2.47 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 earnings per share for the current year.

United Parcel Service Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 6th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be given a dividend of $1.64 per share. This is a positive change from United Parcel Service’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. This represents a $6.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.62%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 18th. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is presently 97.04%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Argus raised United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Wolfe Research upgraded United Parcel Service from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $147.00 target price for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. StockNews.com raised United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on United Parcel Service from $100.00 to $82.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Susquehanna dropped their price target on United Parcel Service from $140.00 to $130.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $140.73.

United Parcel Service 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.