Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC Sells 24,396 Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC lessened its stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 26.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 69,043 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 24,396 shares during the period. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $6,848,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. purchased a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. purchased a new position in United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Coston McIsaac & Partners grew its position in United Parcel Service by 77.8% in the fourth quarter. Coston McIsaac & Partners now owns 272 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 119 shares in the last quarter. Torren Management LLC bought a new position in United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Institutional investors own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

United Parcel Service stock opened at $105.29 on Friday. 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 market capitalization of $89.50 billion, a PE ratio of 17.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 1.05. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $104.09 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $104.47. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a twelve month low of $82.00 and a twelve month high of $122.41.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The transportation company reported $1.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $21.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.99 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.49 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was down 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.1 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The business 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 6.2%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio is currently 106.15%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Citigroup raised their price target on United Parcel Service from $118.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. UBS Group cut their price objective on United Parcel Service from $125.00 to $123.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Evercore reduced their price objective on United Parcel Service from $115.00 to $113.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a research report 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. Finally, Susquehanna boosted their target price on United Parcel Service from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. One 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 given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $111.50.

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.