United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Upgraded by Stephens to Strong-Buy Rating

Stephens upgraded shares of United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) to a strong-buy rating in a research note released on Wednesday morning,Zacks.com reports.

UPS has been the subject of several other reports. Evercore lowered their target price on United Parcel Service from $115.00 to $113.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Weiss Ratings cut United Parcel Service from a “hold (c)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. UBS Group lowered their price objective on United Parcel Service from $125.00 to $123.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Susquehanna boosted their price objective on United Parcel Service from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Citigroup upped their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $118.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $110.85.

United Parcel Service Stock Down 1.8%

Shares of UPS opened at $110.00 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $105.09 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $105.48. The stock has a market cap of $93.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.05. United Parcel Service has a 12 month low of $82.00 and a 12 month high of $122.41.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The transportation company reported $1.07 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $21.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.99 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 5.94% and a return on equity of 35.95%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.49 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that United Parcel Service will post 7.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 4th. Investors of record on Monday, May 18th were issued a dividend of $1.64 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 18th. This represents a $6.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.0%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio is presently 106.15%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Parcel Service

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. bought a new position in United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. acquired a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Coston McIsaac & Partners increased its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 77.8% during the fourth quarter. Coston McIsaac & Partners now owns 272 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 119 shares during the period. Torren Management LLC acquired a new stake in United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Institutional investors own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Company Profile

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.