United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) Shares Acquired by Cutler Investment Counsel LLC

Cutler Investment Counsel LLC lifted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 77.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,653 shares of the transportation company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,592 shares during the quarter. Cutler Investment Counsel LLC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $574,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in UPS. Cornerstone Investment Partners LLC increased its position in United Parcel Service by 85.1% in the 4th quarter. Cornerstone Investment Partners LLC now owns 26,370 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $4,146,000 after acquiring an additional 12,121 shares during the period. HTLF Bank bought a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter worth $6,544,000. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 12.6% during the 4th quarter. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,423 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $381,000 after acquiring an additional 272 shares in the last quarter. Xponance Inc. boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 128,294 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $20,172,000 after acquiring an additional 5,524 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AIA Group Ltd boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 185.0% during the 4th quarter. AIA Group Ltd now owns 6,504 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,023,000 after acquiring an additional 4,222 shares in the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Parcel Service Trading Up 0.4 %

Shares of UPS traded up $0.64 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $143.38. 1,620,328 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,272,988. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 1-year low of $133.68 and a 1-year high of $197.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $122.25 billion, a PE ratio of 18.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.05. The business has a fifty day moving average of $149.55 and a 200-day moving average of $151.28.

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

United Parcel Service Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 8th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 20th were given a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 16th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.55%. This is a positive change from United Parcel Service’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.62. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 83.70%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on UPS shares. Robert W. Baird raised United Parcel Service from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $165.00 to $170.00 in a research note on Friday, February 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on United Parcel Service from $154.00 to $150.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 9th. Argus cut United Parcel Service from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 31st. Daiwa Capital Markets cut United Parcel Service from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $155.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Tuesday, December 26th. Finally, HSBC reduced their target price on United Parcel Service from $155.00 to $150.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have issued a hold rating, seven 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 target price of $165.61.

Insider Transactions at United Parcel Service

In other United Parcel Service news, Director Eva C. Boratto purchased 1,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 2nd. The shares were bought at an average price of $142.30 per share, with a total value of $199,220.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $199,220. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.