Ultrapar Participacoes S.A. (NYSE:UGP) Given Average Rating of “Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Ultrapar Participacoes S.A. (NYSE:UGP) have been given a consensus rating of “Buy” by the seven analysts that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and three have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $4.50.

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Ultrapar Participacoes in a research report on Monday. Zacks Research raised Ultrapar Participacoes from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, September 29th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on Ultrapar Participacoes from $4.00 to $4.50 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 26th.

Institutional Trading of Ultrapar Participacoes

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of UGP. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in Ultrapar Participacoes by 15.8% during the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 98,323 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $303,000 after buying an additional 13,416 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in Ultrapar Participacoes by 6.5% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,892,257 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $5,828,000 after buying an additional 116,150 shares during the period. Vident Advisory LLC increased its position in shares of Ultrapar Participacoes by 5.9% in the 1st quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 138,906 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $428,000 after buying an additional 7,777 shares in the last quarter. Aprio Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ultrapar Participacoes by 138.9% during the first quarter. Aprio Wealth Management LLC now owns 85,370 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $263,000 after acquiring an additional 49,628 shares during the period. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ultrapar Participacoes by 10.9% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 70,838 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $218,000 after purchasing an additional 6,947 shares during the last quarter. 3.58% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ultrapar Participacoes Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of Ultrapar Participacoes stock opened at $3.73 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.83 and a quick ratio of 1.40. Ultrapar Participacoes has a 1 year low of $2.53 and a 1 year high of $4.40. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $3.98 and a 200 day moving average price of $3.62. The company has a market capitalization of $4.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.94, a P/E/G ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.89.

Ultrapar Participacoes Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 26th. Investors of record on Friday, December 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.1876 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 12th. Ultrapar Participacoes’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 59.57%.

Ultrapar Participacoes Company Profile

Ultrapar Participações SA is a Brazilian diversified holding company operating in the downstream energy and chemical sectors. Its Ipiranga unit runs one of Brazil’s largest networks of fuel stations, supplying gasoline, ethanol, diesel and convenience-store products to retail and wholesale customers. Through Ultragaz, the company is a leading distributor of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), offering cylinder and bulk gas solutions for residential, commercial and industrial use across urban and rural regions.

In the specialty chemicals arena, Ultrapar controls Oxiteno, which produces surfactants and specialty chemical formulations for industries such as personal care, oil and gas, agrochemicals and coatings.