Arax Advisory Partners Sells 56,797 Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

Arax Advisory Partners trimmed its position in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 59.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 38,273 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 56,797 shares during the period. Arax Advisory Partners’ holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $3,796,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Westbourne Investments Inc. raised its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Westbourne Investments Inc. now owns 7,876 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $781,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the period. Ipsen Advisor Group LLC raised its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Ipsen Advisor Group LLC now owns 5,670 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $562,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the period. Webster Bank N. A. raised its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 16.7% during the 4th quarter. Webster Bank N. A. now owns 698 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $69,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Peoples Financial Services CORP. raised its stake in United Parcel Service by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Peoples Financial Services CORP. now owns 4,030 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $400,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Finally, Argyle Capital Management LLC raised its stake in United Parcel Service by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Argyle Capital Management LLC now owns 27,505 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,728,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group lowered their price objective on United Parcel Service from $125.00 to $123.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Weiss Ratings cut United Parcel Service from a “hold (c)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Susquehanna boosted their price objective on United Parcel Service from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on United Parcel Service from $118.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Evercore reduced their target price on United Parcel Service from $115.00 to $113.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $111.50.

Key Stories Impacting United Parcel Service

Here are the key news stories impacting United Parcel Service this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UPS shares have been boosted by a broader bullish take on the stock after the Fed’s rate-cut pivot, with some investors viewing UPS as an attractive cyclical income play with a high dividend yield. A Dramatic Fed Pivot Just Unlocked a New Era of Growth for UPS
• Positive Sentiment: UPS-owned Roadie announced a same-day delivery partnership with Omaha Steaks ahead of Father’s Day, highlighting growth in its last-mile and same-day delivery services. From Cart to Cookout: Omaha Steaks and Roadie Power Same-Day Delivery for Father’s Day
• Neutral Sentiment: UPS was also the subject of valuation and stock-performance commentary, with some analysts questioning whether the recent pullback created a better long-term entry point rather than pointing to a new fundamental problem. Is It Time To Reconsider UPS (NYSE:UPS) After Recent Share Price Weakness?
• Neutral Sentiment: UPS met its deadline for retrofitting delivery vans with air conditioning, easing one labor-related pressure point after Teamsters scrutiny, though the issue also underscores ongoing union oversight. UPS meets deadline for retrofitting delivery vans with air conditioning
• Negative Sentiment: Separate UK news about a parcel delivery firm “evaluating options” for a depot closure and 3,000 jobs at risk adds to concerns about softness or restructuring pressures in the parcel-delivery industry, which could weigh on sentiment toward UPS. Massive parcel delivery firm could shut UK depot as it ‘evaluates options’ – with 3,000 jobs at risk
• Negative Sentiment: Some market commentary still frames UPS as a large-cap stock with limited growth runway, and recent coverage has also highlighted weakness in the shares over the past week. 3 Large-Cap Stocks That Concern Us

United Parcel Service Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of UPS opened at $107.96 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $91.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.47, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.05. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $103.23 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $104.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50, a current ratio of 1.21 and a quick ratio of 1.21. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 1 year low of $82.00 and a 1 year high of $122.41.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last issued its earnings results 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. The business had revenue of $21.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.99 billion. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 35.95% and a net margin of 5.94%.United Parcel Service’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.49 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 18th were paid a $1.64 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 18th. This represents a $6.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.1%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio is currently 106.15%.

United Parcel Service 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.