BLB&B Advisors LLC Cuts Stock Holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

BLB&B Advisors LLC lowered its stake in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 12.4% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 2,359 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 334 shares during the period. BLB&B Advisors LLC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $323,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of UPS. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 87.6% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 18,152,900 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,854,180,000 after acquiring an additional 8,475,698 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service during the fourth quarter worth $1,128,322,000. First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 208.1% during the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,717,391 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $270,025,000 after acquiring an additional 1,160,005 shares during the period. Spirepoint Private Client LLC purchased a new position in United Parcel Service in the first quarter valued at $160,787,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in United Parcel Service by 11.4% in the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 9,607,055 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,510,517,000 after buying an additional 980,317 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

Shares of UPS stock traded down $0.70 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $127.20. 3,359,622 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,246,320. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $132.96 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $141.66. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 1-year low of $123.12 and a 1-year high of $172.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.25 and a quick ratio of 1.25. The firm has a market cap of $108.96 billion, a PE ratio of 18.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 0.98.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.99 by ($0.20). United Parcel Service had a net margin of 5.87% and a return on equity of 35.27%. The company had revenue of $21.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.17 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.54 earnings per share. United Parcel Service’s revenue was down 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 5th. Investors of record on Monday, August 19th will be given a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 19th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.13%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio is currently 94.49%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently commented on UPS shares. BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on United Parcel Service from $169.00 to $155.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on United Parcel Service from $156.00 to $134.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Stephens dropped their target price on United Parcel Service from $168.00 to $140.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $144.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, Baird R W upgraded shares of United Parcel Service to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, United Parcel Service currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $151.20.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director William R. Johnson acquired 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 25th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $128.61 per share, for a total transaction of $643,050.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 5,160 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $663,627.60. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Profile

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.