Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH) Shares Gap Up – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:ULH) gapped up before the market opened on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $19.99, but opened at $21.22. Universal Logistics shares last traded at $20.9210, with a volume of 2,868 shares traded.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ULH has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Zacks Research raised shares of Universal Logistics from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Universal Logistics in a research report on Friday. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Universal Logistics from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 14th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on shares of Universal Logistics from $18.00 to $17.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $17.00.

Universal Logistics Price Performance

The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $17.04 and its 200 day moving average price is $17.55. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $535.43 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -9.45 and a beta of 0.91.

Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, March 13th. The transportation company reported $0.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.05) by $0.19. Universal Logistics had a negative net margin of 3.64% and a positive return on equity of 4.13%. The firm had revenue of $385.43 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $376.10 million. Equities research analysts expect that Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. will post 2.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Universal Logistics Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.105 per share. This represents a $0.42 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 23rd. Universal Logistics’s payout ratio is currently -19.53%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal Logistics

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Millennium Management LLC purchased a new position in Universal Logistics during the fourth quarter worth approximately $322,000. Royal Bank of Canada raised its holdings in shares of Universal Logistics by 208.2% during the 4th quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 31,703 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $482,000 after acquiring an additional 21,416 shares during the period. Barclays PLC boosted its position in shares of Universal Logistics by 10.7% during the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 10,557 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $160,000 after acquiring an additional 1,019 shares during the last quarter. Walleye Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Universal Logistics during the 4th quarter valued at about $340,000. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company MN grew its holdings in shares of Universal Logistics by 46.2% in the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 7,579 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $115,000 after purchasing an additional 2,396 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 25.50% of the company’s stock.

About Universal Logistics

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.