Simon Quick Advisors LLC Raises Position in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Simon Quick Advisors LLC raised its holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 5.9% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 4,656 shares of the transportation company’s stock after buying an additional 260 shares during the quarter. Simon Quick Advisors LLC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $637,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of UPS. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 87.6% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 18,152,900 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,854,180,000 after acquiring an additional 8,475,698 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter worth about $1,128,322,000. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in United Parcel Service by 208.1% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,717,391 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $270,025,000 after acquiring an additional 1,160,005 shares during the period. Spirepoint Private Client LLC acquired a new position in United Parcel Service during the first quarter valued at $160,787,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 11.4% during the 4th 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. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of UPS opened at $128.92 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. The firm has a market cap of $110.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.99. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $131.94 and its 200 day moving average price is $140.92. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12-month low of $123.12 and a 12-month high of $168.01.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.79 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.99 by ($0.20). United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 35.27% and a net margin of 5.87%. The company had revenue of $21.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.17 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.54 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.43 earnings per share for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 19th will be given a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.06%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 19th. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio is currently 94.49%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other United Parcel Service news, Director William R. Johnson acquired 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 25th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $128.61 per share, with a total value of $643,050.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 5,160 shares in the company, valued at approximately $663,627.60. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Barclays lowered their price objective on United Parcel Service from $145.00 to $120.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. UBS Group cut their price objective on United Parcel Service from $175.00 to $159.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Evercore ISI cut their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $157.00 to $145.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a report on Monday, June 24th. Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $160.00 to $158.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird cut their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $151.20.

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.