United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Raised to “Outperform” at BMO Capital Markets

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) was upgraded by analysts at BMO Capital Markets from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm currently has a $150.00 price objective on the transportation company’s stock, down from their previous price objective of $155.00. BMO Capital Markets’ price objective points to a potential upside of 16.70% from the company’s previous close.

Several other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on United Parcel Service from $140.00 to $139.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 25th. Susquehanna raised their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. StockNews.com raised shares of United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target 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. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $163.00 to $158.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, United Parcel Service has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $151.29.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UPS opened at $128.53 on Tuesday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $133.16 and its 200 day simple moving average is $132.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 1.14. United Parcel Service has a 1 year low of $123.12 and a 1 year high of $163.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $109.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 0.98.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other United Parcel Service news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 7,325 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.57, for a total transaction of $1,015,025.25. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 45,098 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,249,229.86. This represents a 13.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Parcel Service

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in UPS. TruNorth Capital Management LLC bought a new position in United Parcel Service during the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. True Wealth Design LLC increased its stake in United Parcel Service by 397.7% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 214 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. Centerpoint Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 291.7% in the 2nd quarter. Centerpoint Advisors LLC now owns 235 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 175 shares during the last quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 168.5% in the 2nd quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 247 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 155 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PSI Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 408.2% in the third quarter. PSI Advisors LLC now owns 249 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. 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.