United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) Shares Sold by Allen Capital Group LLC

Allen Capital Group LLC lessened its holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 14.0% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 2,091 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 341 shares during the period. Allen Capital Group LLC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $329,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. RB Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 3.1% in the first quarter. RB Capital Management LLC now owns 2,689 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $577,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the period. Ergoteles LLC acquired a new stake in United Parcel Service during the 1st quarter worth about $1,162,000. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 10.0% during the 1st quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 1,233 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $264,000 after buying an additional 112 shares during the last quarter. First Western Trust Bank acquired a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the 1st quarter valued at about $515,000. Finally, Stevens Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service in the first quarter worth about $701,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Trading Down 1.3 %

Shares of United Parcel Service stock opened at $142.91 on Wednesday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $149.75 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $151.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $121.85 billion, a PE ratio of 18.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 1.05. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 52-week low of $133.68 and a 52-week high of $197.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 1.10.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 30th. The transportation company reported $2.47 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.46 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $24.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $25.40 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 7.37% and a return on equity of 39.46%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.62 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 8.2 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 8th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 20th were paid a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.56%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 16th. This is an increase from United Parcel Service’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.62. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is currently 83.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on UPS. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on United Parcel Service from $183.00 to $179.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 28th. UBS Group upgraded United Parcel Service from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $160.00 to $175.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. Daiwa Capital Markets downgraded United Parcel Service from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $155.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday, December 26th. Finally, Evercore ISI reaffirmed an “in-line” rating and set a $154.00 price target on shares of United Parcel Service in a research report on Wednesday, March 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have issued a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $165.61.

Insider Transactions at United Parcel Service

In other news, Director Eva C. Boratto acquired 1,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 2nd. The stock was bought at an average price of $142.30 per share, with a total value of $199,220.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 1,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $199,220. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.13% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About United Parcel Service

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.