United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) Shares Sold by Farmers Trust Co.

Farmers Trust Co. trimmed its position in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 6.9% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 2,825 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 211 shares during the period. Farmers Trust Co.’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $356,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Asset Dedication LLC boosted its position in United Parcel Service by 16.1% in the second quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 1,141 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $156,000 after buying an additional 158 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 254.8% in the second quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 72,867 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $9,969,000 after acquiring an additional 52,329 shares during the period. Quest Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the second quarter worth $1,148,000. PFG Investments LLC lifted its position in United Parcel Service by 10.2% during the second quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 12,045 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,648,000 after purchasing an additional 1,115 shares during the period. Finally, Wedbush Securities Inc. boosted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 2.9% in the second quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 19,567 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,678,000 after purchasing an additional 551 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Trading Up 1.2 %

United Parcel Service stock traded up $1.48 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $126.46. 3,048,721 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,613,932. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $130.04 and its 200 day simple moving average is $131.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $107.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.10, a PEG ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $122.01 and a fifty-two week high of $161.48.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The transportation company reported $1.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.63 by $0.13. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.25% and a return on equity of 37.38%. The firm had revenue of $22.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.10 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.57 EPS. United Parcel Service’s revenue was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.48 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 5th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.16%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 98.49%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Citigroup lowered their target price on United Parcel Service from $163.00 to $158.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $132.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Argus raised shares of United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Oppenheimer increased their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $140.00 to $146.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, fourteen have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $151.10.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Parcel Service

In other news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 7,325 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.57, for a total value of $1,015,025.25. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 45,098 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,249,229.86. This trade represents a 13.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.