Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH) Shares Up 9% – Still a Buy?

Shares of Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:ULH) rose 9% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $19.18 and last traded at $19.04. Approximately 79,091 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 82% from the average daily volume of 43,434 shares. The stock had previously closed at $17.46.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on shares of Universal Logistics from $18.00 to $17.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Universal Logistics in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research raised shares of Universal Logistics from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Universal Logistics from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $17.00.

Universal Logistics Trading Up 8.0%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 1.32 and a current ratio of 1.32. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $15.54 and a 200 day simple moving average of $20.74. The company has a market capitalization of $496.58 million, a PE ratio of -12.41 and a beta of 0.92.

Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The transportation company reported $0.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.18 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $396.79 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $422.80 million. Universal Logistics had a positive return on equity of 6.49% and a negative net margin of 2.46%. Analysts anticipate that Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. will post 2.81 earnings per share for the current year.

Universal Logistics Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 1st were issued a dividend of $0.105 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. This represents a $0.42 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Universal Logistics’s dividend payout ratio is -27.63%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal Logistics

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ULH. AQR Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Universal Logistics in the 1st quarter valued at about $789,000. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Universal Logistics by 5.0% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 108,268 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,841,000 after acquiring an additional 5,136 shares during the period. Strs Ohio purchased a new position in shares of Universal Logistics during the first quarter worth approximately $315,000. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Universal Logistics by 4.3% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 193,413 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $4,910,000 after buying an additional 8,039 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc increased its position in Universal Logistics by 93.7% in the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 13,514 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $343,000 after acquiring an additional 6,538 shares during the period. 25.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Universal Logistics Company Profile

Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc is a diversified, asset-light third-party logistics provider offering transportation and supply chain solutions across North America and around the globe. Its service portfolio encompasses truckload, less-than-truckload, intermodal, and specialized freight services, supported by dedicated brokerage, warehousing, and distribution management capabilities.

Originally incorporated as Universal Truckload Services, Inc, the company has evolved beyond its core truckload heritage to a one-stop logistics platform.