United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Trading 1.5% Higher – Should You Buy?

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) traded up 1.5% during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $97.19 and last traded at $96.9870. 4,734,932 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 31% from the average session volume of 6,841,473 shares. The stock had previously closed at $95.55.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently issued reports on UPS shares. Susquehanna lifted their price objective on United Parcel Service from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Wall Street Zen raised United Parcel Service from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $100.00 to $88.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 2nd. Citigroup upped their price target on United Parcel Service from $112.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price objective on United Parcel Service from $110.00 to $113.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $110.00.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

The business has a fifty day moving average of $91.24 and a 200 day moving average of $92.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.30. The stock has a market cap of $82.28 billion, a PE ratio of 14.99, a P/E/G ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.11.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The transportation company reported $1.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.31 by $0.43. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 40.07% and a net margin of 6.15%.The company had revenue of $21.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.94 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.76 EPS. United Parcel Service’s quarterly revenue was down 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 earnings per share for the current year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 4th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 17th were given a dividend of $1.64 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 17th. This represents a $6.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.8%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 101.39%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cornerstone Wealth Group LLC increased its stake in United Parcel Service by 3.9% during the second quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Group LLC now owns 2,557 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $258,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Bangor Savings Bank boosted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.9% in the 2nd quarter. Bangor Savings Bank now owns 5,413 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $546,000 after buying an additional 101 shares during the period. First Dallas Securities Inc. grew its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. First Dallas Securities Inc. now owns 11,421 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,256,000 after buying an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in United Parcel Service by 3.4% during the first quarter. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,185 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $350,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares during the period. Finally, Wright Investors Service Inc. lifted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 1.3% in the second quarter. Wright Investors Service Inc. now owns 7,861 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $793,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Company 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.