Verity & Verity LLC Acquires 36,142 Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Verity & Verity LLC increased its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 27.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 165,693 shares of the transportation company’s stock after buying an additional 36,142 shares during the quarter. United Parcel Service accounts for about 1.9% of Verity & Verity LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 17th biggest holding. Verity & Verity LLC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $20,894,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. IFS Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 232.3% in the fourth quarter. IFS Advisors LLC now owns 216 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 151 shares during the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC lifted 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 purchasing an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. PSI Advisors LLC lifted its stake in 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. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 720.0% during the third quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 246 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 216 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of United Parcel Service during the third quarter worth $36,000. 60.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

Shares of UPS stock opened at $129.77 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $129.01 and a 200-day moving average of $130.97. The company has a market cap of $110.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 52 week low of $121.56 and a 52 week high of $161.35.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The transportation company reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.63 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $22.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.10 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.25% and a return on equity of 37.38%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.57 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.49 earnings per share for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.02%. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is currently 98.49%.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Parcel Service

In related news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 7,325 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the insider now directly owns 45,098 shares in the company, valued at $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 at this link. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UPS has been the topic of several recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on United Parcel Service from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Barclays restated an “underweight” rating and set a $120.00 price target on shares of United Parcel Service in a report on Monday, October 21st. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $138.00 to $141.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. BMO Capital Markets raised shares of United Parcel Service from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $155.00 to $150.00 in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $134.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, fifteen have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $151.10.

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.