United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) Shares Sold by Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC

Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC trimmed its position in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 5.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 21,705 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 1,193 shares during the period. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $3,413,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in UPS. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners acquired a new stake in United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Life Planning Partners Inc acquired a new stake in United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Northwest Financial Advisors acquired a new stake in United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Bourgeon Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. 60.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on UPS shares. Argus downgraded United Parcel Service from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 31st. Redburn Atlantic raised United Parcel Service from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $180.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 3rd. TD Cowen cut their price target on United Parcel Service from $147.00 to $140.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 28th. Raymond James cut their price target on United Parcel Service from $185.00 to $175.00 and set a “strong-buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 31st. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have assigned a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $165.23.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

United Parcel Service stock traded up $0.20 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $147.59. The company had a trading volume of 2,607,558 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,897,331. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 1.10. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $149.56 and its 200-day simple moving average is $150.96. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12-month low of $133.68 and a 12-month high of $192.98. The company has a market capitalization of $125.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.38, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.05.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.33 by $0.10. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.60% and a return on equity of 37.42%. The business had revenue of $21.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.84 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.20 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 8.22 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 8th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 20th were paid a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.42%. This is a positive change from United Parcel Service’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.62. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 16th. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 94.49%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other United Parcel Service news, Director Eva C. Boratto bought 1,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 2nd. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $142.30 per share, with a total value of $199,220.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 1,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $199,220. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Corporate 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.