Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co. Lowers Holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co. lessened its stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 65.4% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 43,352 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 81,863 shares during the quarter. Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co.’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $6,816,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners purchased a new position in United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Life Planning Partners Inc purchased a new position in United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Bourgeon Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC raised its position in United Parcel Service by 69.5% in the 3rd quarter. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC now owns 239 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Trading Up 1.6 %

NYSE:UPS traded up $2.32 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $145.09. 1,895,131 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,286,280. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $149.48 and its 200-day moving average is $151.16. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12-month low of $133.68 and a 12-month high of $197.31. The firm has a market capitalization of $123.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.43, a P/E/G ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.05. 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 (NYSE:UPS) last released its quarterly 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 company 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 EPS. United Parcel Service’s quarterly revenue was down 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. 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 firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 8th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 20th were paid a $1.63 dividend. This is a positive change from United Parcel Service’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.62. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 16th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.49%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 83.70%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other United Parcel Service news, Director Eva C. Boratto bought 1,400 shares of United Parcel Service 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 purchase, the director now directly owns 1,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $199,220. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $153.00 target price on shares of United Parcel Service in a research report on Wednesday, March 27th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $178.00 to $170.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 28th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 27th. TheStreet upgraded United Parcel Service from a “c” rating to a “b-” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 30th. Finally, Robert W. Baird upgraded United Parcel Service from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $165.00 to $170.00 in a research note on Friday, February 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have issued a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $165.61.

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.