Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC Decreases Stock Holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lessened its holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 7.7% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 56,116 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 4,696 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $5,521,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UPS. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 63.8% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 12,126 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,529,000 after purchasing an additional 4,723 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service in the second quarter worth $277,000. SVB Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service in the 2nd quarter worth about $848,000. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina increased its holdings in United Parcel Service by 2.7% in the second quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 342,866 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $34,609,000 after buying an additional 9,124 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ieq Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 154.5% in the 2nd quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 104,819 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $10,580,000 after acquiring an additional 63,629 shares during the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key United Parcel Service News

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently weighed in on UPS. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of United Parcel Service from a “hold (c)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Susquehanna increased their target price on United Parcel Service from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $127.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Evercore lowered their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $115.00 to $113.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, UBS Group dropped 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 report on Wednesday, April 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $111.10.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

UPS stock opened at $112.61 on Monday. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $82.00 and a fifty-two week high of $122.41. The company has a market capitalization of $95.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.22, a PEG ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $105.35 and a 200 day simple moving average of $105.63. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 5.94% and a return on equity of 35.95%. The business had revenue of $21.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $20.99 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.49 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 4th. Investors of record on Monday, May 18th were issued a dividend of $1.64 per share. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a 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%.

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.