American Century Companies Inc. Sells 1,235,206 Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

American Century Companies Inc. lessened its holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 46.0% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 1,447,851 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 1,235,206 shares during the quarter. American Century Companies Inc.’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $120,939,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UPS. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 63.8% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 12,126 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,529,000 after buying an additional 4,723 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in United Parcel Service during the second quarter worth $277,000. SVB Wealth LLC acquired a new position in United Parcel Service during the second quarter worth $848,000. IFG Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 13.4% during the second quarter. IFG Advisory LLC now owns 6,588 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $665,000 after acquiring an additional 778 shares during the period. Finally, Plato Investment Management Ltd boosted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 14.4% in the 2nd quarter. Plato Investment Management Ltd now owns 5,591 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $562,000 after purchasing an additional 702 shares in the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 25,014 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.13% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. BMO Capital Markets increased 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. Bank of America upgraded shares of United Parcel Service from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $114.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 9th. BNP Paribas Exane lowered shares of United Parcel Service from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $85.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Susquehanna boosted their target price on United Parcel Service from $105.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on United Parcel Service from $116.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $113.67.

United Parcel Service Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of NYSE:UPS opened at $114.40 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a current ratio of 1.22 and a quick ratio of 1.22. The stock has a market cap of $97.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a 50 day moving average of $109.52 and a 200-day moving average of $97.04. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a one year low of $82.00 and a one year high of $123.70.

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

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be given a dividend of $1.64 per share. This represents a $6.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is presently 100.00%.

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.