United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Shares Down 2.5% – Here’s What Happened

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) shares traded down 2.5% on Friday . The company traded as low as $123.16 and last traded at $123.57. 1,550,794 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 56% from the average session volume of 3,506,072 shares. The stock had previously closed at $126.76.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on UPS. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $165.00 to $162.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $134.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Bank of America increased their target price on United Parcel Service from $132.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Barclays reiterated an “underweight” rating and set a $120.00 price target on shares of United Parcel Service in a report on Monday, October 21st. Finally, Susquehanna increased their price objective on United Parcel Service from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, fourteen have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $151.10.

United Parcel Service Trading Down 2.6 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $105.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.65, a PEG ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.00. The company’s 50 day moving average is $129.75 and its 200 day moving average is $131.33.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The transportation company reported $1.76 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.63 by $0.13. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.25% and a return on equity of 37.38%. The business had revenue of $22.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.10 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.57 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 5th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th were given a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.28%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 98.49%.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Parcel Service

In other news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 7,325 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.57, for a total value of $1,015,025.25. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 45,098 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,249,229.86. This represents a 13.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of United Parcel Service

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UPS. Ridgewood Investments LLC increased its holdings in United Parcel Service by 5.9% during the 4th quarter. Ridgewood Investments LLC now owns 13,626 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,718,000 after purchasing an additional 756 shares in the last quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. grew its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 61.5% during the fourth quarter. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. now owns 2,505 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $316,000 after purchasing an additional 954 shares during the last quarter. First Hawaiian Bank increased its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 117.6% in the fourth quarter. First Hawaiian Bank now owns 7,419 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $936,000 after buying an additional 4,009 shares in the last quarter. InvesTrust bought a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at about $4,856,000. Finally, Range Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter worth about $560,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

About United Parcel Service

United Parcel Service, Inc, a package delivery company, provides transportation and delivery, distribution, contract logistics, ocean freight, airfreight, customs brokerage, and insurance services. It operates through two segments, U.S. Domestic Package and International Package. The U.S. Domestic Package segment offers time-definite delivery of express letters, documents, small packages, and palletized freight through air and ground services in the United States.