Citigroup Issues Positive Forecast for United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Stock Price

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) had its price target raised by Citigroup from $127.00 to $132.00 in a report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a buy rating on the transportation company’s stock.

UPS has been the subject of a number of other reports. UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $125.00 to $123.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Stephens upgraded United Parcel Service to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Susquehanna lifted their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a “hold (c)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Evercore decreased their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $115.00 to $113.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $111.10.

United Parcel Service Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of United Parcel Service stock opened at $110.62 on Thursday. United Parcel Service has a 1 year low of $82.00 and a 1 year high of $122.41. The business has a 50-day moving average of $105.23 and a two-hundred day moving average of $105.54. The company has a market capitalization of $94.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.05. 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 (NYSE:UPS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The transportation company reported $1.07 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $21.20 billion for 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 was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.49 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that United Parcel Service will post 7.11 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

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 of this dividend was Monday, May 18th. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.9%. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is presently 106.15%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Parcel Service

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 63.8% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 12,126 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,529,000 after acquiring an additional 4,723 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in United Parcel Service in the 2nd quarter valued at $277,000. SVB Wealth LLC bought a new position in United Parcel Service during the 2nd quarter worth $848,000. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina grew its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 2.7% in the second quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 342,866 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $34,609,000 after acquiring an additional 9,124 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ieq Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 154.5% in the second quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 104,819 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $10,580,000 after acquiring an additional 63,629 shares in the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Parcel Service News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target on UPS to $132 from $127 and kept a buy rating, implying meaningful upside from current levels. The bullish call supports sentiment around the stock. Benzinga report on Citigroup price-target increase
• Positive Sentiment: Stephens upgraded UPS to strong-buy, adding to the recent wave of favorable analyst commentary. Zacks report on Stephens upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: UPS drew unusual options activity, with traders buying 34,148 call options, about 33% above normal volume. Heavy call buying can signal bullish speculation.
• Positive Sentiment: UPS’s addition to key Russell defensive indexes could increase demand from index-linked funds and reinforce the stock’s defensive appeal. Yahoo Finance article on Russell defensive index addition
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles highlighted that UPS remains heavily watched ahead of earnings, with some commentary arguing the company has a decent chance to beat estimates again based on its recent surprise history. Zacks earnings preview
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish commentary warned that UPS may face muted revenue growth, margin pressure, and possible dividend risk if free cash flow remains weak, which could cap further upside. Seeking Alpha bearish analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Another analysis said recent progress could be short-lived and pointed to intensified competition from Amazon’s logistics expansion as a threat to UPS’s growth and margins. Seeking Alpha consolidation analysis

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.