United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Shares Up 1.4% – Should You Buy?

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)’s share price shot up 1.4% on Friday . The company traded as high as $124.75 and last traded at $124.37. 2,022,149 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 52% from the average session volume of 4,188,612 shares. The stock had previously closed at $122.65.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently commented on UPS. BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and cut their target price for the company from $155.00 to $150.00 in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $134.00 to $142.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price 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. Susquehanna upped their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $140.00 to $146.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $151.29.

United Parcel Service Trading Up 2.5 %

The company’s fifty day moving average price is $132.25 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $132.35. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. The firm has a market cap of $107.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.98.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The transportation company reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 firm had revenue of $22.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.10 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.57 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio is currently 98.49%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of UPS. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing 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 valued at $32,000 after purchasing 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 valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 155 shares during the last quarter. PSI Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 408.2% in the 3rd quarter. PSI Advisors LLC now owns 249 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Princeton Global Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 720.0% in the 3rd quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 246 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 216 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors 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.