United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS is Manning & Napier Advisors LLC’s 9th Largest Position

Manning & Napier Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 1.5% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 1,852,919 shares of the transportation company’s stock after buying an additional 26,835 shares during the period. United Parcel Service comprises about 2.6% of Manning & Napier Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest position. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $182,290,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in UPS. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. purchased a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. bought a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Coston McIsaac & Partners increased its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 77.8% during the fourth quarter. Coston McIsaac & Partners now owns 272 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 119 shares during the period. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. 60.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UPS has been the topic of several recent research reports. Susquehanna upped their price target on United Parcel Service from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of United Parcel Service from a “hold (c)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Stephens raised United Parcel Service to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Evercore cut their target price on United Parcel Service from $115.00 to $113.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $125.00 to $123.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, United Parcel Service currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $111.10.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

NYSE UPS traded up $1.88 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $112.61. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 3,408,694 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,506,363. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12 month low of $82.00 and a 12 month high of $122.41. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $105.35 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $105.59. The company has a market cap of $95.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50, a current ratio of 1.21 and a quick ratio of 1.21.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The transportation company reported $1.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $21.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $20.99 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 5.94% and a return on equity of 35.95%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.49 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 4th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 18th were issued a dividend of $1.64 per share. This represents a $6.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 18th. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is presently 106.15%.

Key Headlines Impacting United Parcel Service

Here are the key news stories impacting United Parcel Service this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target on UPS to $132 and reiterated a buy rating, while Stephens upgraded the stock to strong-buy, signaling Wall Street sees more upside. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: UPS was added to the Russell 1000 Value Defensive and Russell 1000 Defensive indexes, which can support demand from index-focused investors and highlight the stock’s defensive appeal. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call option buying suggests traders are positioning for continued gains in UPS shares.
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles pointed to UPS’s strong earnings-beat history and growing investor attention ahead of the next quarterly report, reinforcing expectations for another solid print. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: UPS is reshaping its network, likely as part of ongoing operational efficiency efforts, but the article did not indicate an immediate material financial impact. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: UPS and FedEx remaining top logistics companies by market cap is a reminder of the company’s scale, but this is more a sector ranking than a stock-moving catalyst. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General flagged UPS’s air cargo contract with USPS, urging a re-evaluation over volume-guarantee risks and even possible termination if issues are not addressed, which adds uncertainty around parcel volumes and contract revenue. Article Title

About United Parcel Service

United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) is a global package delivery and supply chain management company that provides a broad range of transportation, logistics and e-commerce services. Its core business centers on small-package delivery and last-mile distribution for business and individual customers, supported by a network of ground transportation, air cargo operations (UPS Airlines) and sorting facilities. In addition to parcel delivery, UPS offers freight transportation, contract logistics, warehousing, customs brokerage and reverse-logistics solutions designed to support domestic and international commerce.

The company traces its roots to 1907 when it began as a small messenger service in the United States and later evolved into the United Parcel Service.