United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Shares Gap Down – Should You Sell?

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) shares gapped down before the market opened on Monday . The stock had previously closed at $107.57, but opened at $102.32. United Parcel Service shares last traded at $98.6510, with a volume of 2,557,072 shares.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $118.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $107.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Bank of America upgraded shares of United Parcel Service from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $114.00 target price for the company in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $115.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $112.08.

United Parcel Service Trading Down 9.4%

The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $103.46 and its 200-day simple moving average is $101.92. The company has a market capitalization of $82.76 billion, a PE ratio of 15.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 1.06.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The transportation company reported $1.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.05. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 5.94% and a return on equity of 35.95%. The company had revenue of $21.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.99 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.49 earnings per share. United Parcel Service’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.1 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. purchased a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. purchased a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Coston McIsaac & Partners boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 77.8% in the fourth quarter. Coston McIsaac & Partners now owns 272 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 119 shares during the period. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.