United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Shares Down 2.4% – Should You Sell?

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) shares were down 2.4% on Friday. The stock traded as low as $108.14 and last traded at $108.39. 6,357,243 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 13% from the average daily volume of 5,628,267 shares. The stock had previously closed at $111.04.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on UPS. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $118.00 to $115.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on United Parcel Service from $110.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 28th. Susquehanna increased their target price on United Parcel Service from $118.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their price target on United Parcel Service from $131.00 to $127.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 21st. Finally, Stephens reduced their price target on United Parcel Service from $135.00 to $130.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $118.45.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67. The firm has a market cap of $92.22 billion, a PE ratio of 20.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.98. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $99.76 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $104.70.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 4th. The transportation company reported $1.69 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $22.85 billion during the quarter. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 4.84% and a return on equity of 37.78%. As a group, equities analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.28 earnings per share for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, November 16th will be paid a $1.64 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.1%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 126.15%.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Parcel Service

In related news, insider Matthew Guffey sold 8,318 shares of United Parcel Service stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.39, for a total transaction of $876,634.02. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 271 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $28,560.69. The trade was a 96.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.19% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of United Parcel Service

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA boosted its position in United Parcel Service by 2.1% during the third quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 312,924 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $29,240,000 after acquiring an additional 6,289 shares during the last quarter. Leelyn Smith LLC raised its holdings in United Parcel Service by 2.8% in the 3rd quarter. Leelyn Smith LLC now owns 29,829 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,787,000 after acquiring an additional 803 shares during the last quarter. Verus Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in United Parcel Service by 22.8% in the 3rd quarter. Verus Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,437 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $321,000 after acquiring an additional 639 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in United Parcel Service by 10.2% in the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 115,000 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $11,050,000 after purchasing an additional 10,633 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cowa LLC boosted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 11.9% during the 3rd quarter. Cowa LLC now owns 26,466 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,473,000 after purchasing an additional 2,820 shares during the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Parcel Service Company Profile

United Parcel Service, Inc (UPS) is a global package delivery and logistics company. Its services include domestic and international shipping, air and ground delivery, freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and supply chain management.

UPS also provides solutions for businesses, including warehousing, inventory management, healthcare logistics, and returns processing. Its network serves customers in more than 200 countries and territories.

Founded in Seattle in 1907 as the American Messenger Company, UPS is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.