Courier Capital LLC Acquires 142 Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Courier Capital LLC grew its position in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 0.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 19,354 shares of the transportation company’s stock after acquiring an additional 142 shares during the quarter. Courier Capital LLC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $3,043,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of UPS. RB Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 3.1% during the 1st quarter. RB Capital Management LLC now owns 2,689 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $577,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Ergoteles LLC bought a new stake in United Parcel Service in the first quarter worth $1,162,000. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC lifted its position in United Parcel Service by 10.0% in the first quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 1,233 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $264,000 after buying an additional 112 shares during the last quarter. First Western Trust Bank bought a new stake in United Parcel Service in the first quarter worth $515,000. Finally, Stevens Capital Management LP bought a new stake in United Parcel Service in the first quarter worth $701,000. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UPS opened at $147.33 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10. The company has a market cap of $125.62 billion, a PE ratio of 18.91, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.05. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $150.79 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $152.28. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $133.68 and a fifty-two week high of $197.80.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, January 30th. The transportation company reported $2.47 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.46 by $0.01. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 39.46% and a net margin of 7.37%. The firm had revenue of $24.92 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $25.40 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.62 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was down 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 8.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 8th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 20th were given a dividend of $1.63 per share. This is a boost from United Parcel Service’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.62. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.43%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 16th. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 83.70%.

Insider Activity at United Parcel Service

In related news, Director Eva C. Boratto purchased 1,400 shares of United Parcel Service stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 2nd. The stock was bought at an average cost of $142.30 per share, for a total transaction of $199,220.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 1,400 shares in the company, valued at $199,220. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.13% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on UPS. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on United Parcel Service from $165.00 to $156.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, December 21st. Argus lowered United Parcel Service from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 31st. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on United Parcel Service from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. UBS Group upgraded United Parcel Service from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $160.00 to $175.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Finally, Daiwa Capital Markets lowered United Parcel Service from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $155.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Tuesday, December 26th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have issued a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $166.81.

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.