Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH) Upgraded to Buy at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday morning.

Separately, Stifel Nicolaus raised Universal Logistics from a hold rating to a buy rating and boosted their price target for the company from $35.00 to $36.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 10th.

Universal Logistics Trading Up 39.4 %

Shares of NASDAQ ULH opened at $45.84 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.21 billion, a PE ratio of 10.01 and a beta of 1.08. Universal Logistics has a one year low of $20.85 and a one year high of $48.63. The company has a current ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $34.70 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $29.58.

Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 15th. The transportation company reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.71 by $0.10. Universal Logistics had a net margin of 7.02% and a return on equity of 23.60%. The company had revenue of $390.92 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $377.30 million. As a group, analysts predict that Universal Logistics will post 3.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Universal Logistics Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 3rd will be given a $0.105 dividend. This represents a $0.42 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.92%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 3rd. Universal Logistics’s dividend payout ratio is currently 9.17%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal Logistics

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Universal Logistics in the 4th quarter worth $110,000. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale acquired a new stake in Universal Logistics during the third quarter worth about $171,000. Quadrature Capital Ltd bought a new position in Universal Logistics during the third quarter valued at about $253,000. Seizert Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in Universal Logistics by 21.5% in the 3rd quarter. Seizert Capital Partners LLC now owns 12,184 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $307,000 after acquiring an additional 2,157 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC lifted its position in shares of Universal Logistics by 13.0% in the 3rd quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 14,514 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $365,000 after acquiring an additional 1,674 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 25.50% of the company’s stock.

Universal Logistics Company Profile

Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc provides transportation and logistics solutions in the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Colombia. The company offers truckload services, which include dry van, flatbed, heavy-haul, and refrigerated operations; domestic and international freight forwarding, and customs brokerage services.