Prosperity Wealth Management Inc. Acquires Shares of 1,451 United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Prosperity Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm purchased 1,451 shares of the transportation company’s stock, valued at approximately $228,000.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Pacific Center for Financial Services bought a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the first quarter worth $25,000. IMA Wealth Inc. increased its holdings in United Parcel Service by 100.0% in the 2nd quarter. IMA Wealth Inc. now owns 142 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the period. Worth Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners acquired a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Finally, OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Trading Down 0.4 %

UPS opened at $142.25 on Thursday. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a twelve month low of $133.68 and a twelve month high of $197.80. The company has a fifty day moving average of $149.65 and a 200-day moving average of $151.34. The stock has a market cap of $121.29 billion, a PE ratio of 18.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 30th. The transportation company reported $2.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.46 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $24.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.40 billion. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 39.46% and a net margin of 7.37%. The company’s revenue was down 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.62 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 8.2 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 8th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 20th were paid a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 16th. This is an increase from United Parcel Service’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.62. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.58%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 83.70%.

Insider Activity at United Parcel Service

In other news, Director Eva C. Boratto purchased 1,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 2nd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $142.30 per share, for a total transaction of $199,220.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 1,400 shares in the company, valued at $199,220. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Evercore ISI restated an “in-line” rating and set a $154.00 target price on shares of United Parcel Service in a research note on Wednesday, March 27th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on United Parcel Service from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 27th. Susquehanna reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $150.00 target price on shares of United Parcel Service in a research note on Wednesday, March 27th. Argus downgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 31st. Finally, Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $165.00 to $170.00 in a research report on Friday, February 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have issued a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, United Parcel Service has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $165.61.

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.