Ellsworth Advisors LLC Buys 707 Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Ellsworth Advisors LLC raised its stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 3.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 23,959 shares of the transportation company’s stock after acquiring an additional 707 shares during the quarter. Ellsworth Advisors LLC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $3,767,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. MWA Asset Management purchased a new stake in United Parcel Service during the third quarter valued at about $2,125,000. Chesapeake Wealth Management boosted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 7,886 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,229,000 after buying an additional 103 shares during the period. Ergoteles LLC bought a new position in United Parcel Service in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $8,571,000. Telos Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in United Parcel Service by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Telos Capital Management Inc. now owns 74,337 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $11,587,000 after buying an additional 740 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.3% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 28,354,781 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $5,082,594,000 after acquiring an additional 357,974 shares in the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

UPS traded up $1.30 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $148.63. The stock had a trading volume of 5,197,043 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,926,311. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 1 year low of $133.68 and a 1 year high of $197.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10. The business has a fifty day moving average of $150.64 and a 200 day moving average of $152.25. The company has a market cap of $126.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.05.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 30th. The transportation company reported $2.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.46 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $24.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $25.40 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 7.37% and a return on equity of 39.46%. The firm’s revenue was down 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.62 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 8.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 8th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 20th were issued a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 16th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.39%. This is an increase from United Parcel Service’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.62. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is currently 83.70%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Eva C. Boratto acquired 1,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 2nd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $142.30 per share, with a total value of $199,220.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 1,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $199,220. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on UPS. HSBC reduced their price target on United Parcel Service from $155.00 to $150.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. UBS Group raised United Parcel Service from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $160.00 to $175.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $183.00 to $179.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Raymond James reduced their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $185.00 to $175.00 and set a “strong-buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 31st. Finally, Argus cut shares of United Parcel Service from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 31st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have issued a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $165.23.

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.