LS Investment Advisors LLC Cuts Holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

LS Investment Advisors LLC lowered its holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 71.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,940 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 7,200 shares during the quarter. LS Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $246,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Evelyn Partners Investment Management Europe Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 110.1% during the 2nd quarter. Evelyn Partners Investment Management Europe Ltd now owns 250 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 131 shares during the last quarter. Mid American Wealth Advisory Group Inc. bought a new position in United Parcel Service during the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Salzhauer Michael purchased a new stake in United Parcel Service in the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Flaharty Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in United Parcel Service in the 1st quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, RMG Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the 2nd quarter valued at $34,000. 60.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

Shares of United Parcel Service stock opened at $100.92 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $85.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.60, a PEG ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $96.80 and its 200-day simple moving average is $92.78. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 52 week low of $82.00 and a 52 week high of $136.99.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The transportation company reported $1.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.31 by $0.43. The company had revenue of $21.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.94 billion. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 40.07% and a net margin of 6.15%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.76 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 17th were paid a $1.64 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 17th. This represents a $6.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.5%. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is presently 101.39%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on United Parcel Service from $91.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $85.00 to $97.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Susquehanna increased their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 1st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on United Parcel Service from $110.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $110.09.

United Parcel Service Profile

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.