United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS Shares Sold by Willis Investment Counsel

Willis Investment Counsel reduced its stake in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 12.2% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 228,731 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 31,817 shares during the quarter. Willis Investment Counsel’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $19,106,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Evelyn Partners Investment Management Europe Ltd increased its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 110.1% in the second quarter. Evelyn Partners Investment Management Europe Ltd now owns 250 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 131 shares during the period. Mid American Wealth Advisory Group Inc. purchased a new stake in United Parcel Service in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in United Parcel Service in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $34,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new position in United Parcel Service during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Salzhauer Michael acquired a new stake in United Parcel Service during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 60.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at United Parcel Service

In other news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 25,014 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.15, for a total value of $2,655,236.10. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.13% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UPS has been the subject of several recent research reports. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $116.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Hsbc Global Res upgraded United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. TD Cowen upped their target price on United Parcel Service from $101.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. BNP Paribas Exane cut United Parcel Service from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $85.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their price objective on United Parcel Service from $107.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $113.67.

United Parcel Service Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of UPS stock opened at $116.72 on Friday. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 1-year low of $82.00 and a 1-year high of $123.70. The company has a market cap of $99.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.69, a PEG ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a current ratio of 1.22 and a quick ratio of 1.30. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $103.28 and a 200-day simple moving average of $94.00.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The transportation company reported $2.38 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.20 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $24.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.91 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.28% and a return on equity of 38.30%. The firm’s revenue was down 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.75 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be paid a $1.64 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.6%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 100.00%.

About United Parcel Service

United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) is a global package delivery and supply chain management company that provides a broad range of transportation, logistics and e-commerce services. Its core business centers on small-package delivery and last-mile distribution for business and individual customers, supported by a network of ground transportation, air cargo operations (UPS Airlines) and sorting facilities. In addition to parcel delivery, UPS offers freight transportation, contract logistics, warehousing, customs brokerage and reverse-logistics solutions designed to support domestic and international commerce.

The company traces its roots to 1907 when it began as a small messenger service in the United States and later evolved into the United Parcel Service.