Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLC Boosts Stock Position in United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLC boosted its position in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 15.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 47,502 shares of the transportation company’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,380 shares during the quarter. United Parcel Service comprises about 1.6% of Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 23rd largest position. Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $3,968,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of UPS. Cornerstone Wealth Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of 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 worth $258,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. CFS Investment Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in United Parcel Service by 2.6% in the 3rd quarter. CFS Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 4,268 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $372,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Advisory Solutions LLC grew its holdings in United Parcel Service by 2.3% in the 3rd quarter. Wealth Advisory Solutions LLC now owns 5,163 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $431,000 after buying an additional 118 shares during the period. Westside Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in United Parcel Service by 14.8% in the 2nd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 960 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $97,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the period. Finally, Country Trust Bank increased its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 4.8% during the 2nd quarter. Country Trust Bank now owns 2,747 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $277,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Parcel Service Stock Up 0.7%

Shares of NYSE UPS opened at $117.36 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $103.72 and a 200 day moving average price of $94.13. The company has a current ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12-month low of $82.00 and a 12-month high of $123.70. The company has a market cap of $99.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.89, a P/E/G ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 1.11.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The transportation company reported $2.38 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.20 by $0.18. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 38.30% and a net margin of 6.28%.The company had revenue of $24.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $23.91 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.75 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Evercore raised their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $94.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $96.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Stephens upped their price objective on United Parcel Service from $113.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on United Parcel Service from $99.00 to $107.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on United Parcel Service from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $113.67.

Insider Activity

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

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.