ARQ Wealth Advisors LLC Boosts Stock Holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

ARQ Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 167.5% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 19,112 shares of the transportation company’s stock after purchasing an additional 11,967 shares during the quarter. ARQ Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $1,880,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in UPS. Lincoln Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 992.9% during the 1st quarter. Lincoln Capital LLC now owns 50,033 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $4,922,000 after purchasing an additional 45,455 shares during the period. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in United Parcel Service in the 1st quarter worth about $10,046,000. Cullinan Associates Inc. grew its holdings in United Parcel Service by 18.5% during the 1st quarter. Cullinan Associates Inc. now owns 92,789 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $9,129,000 after buying an additional 14,488 shares in the last quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI grew its holdings in United Parcel Service by 5.1% during the 1st quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI now owns 10,136 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $997,000 after buying an additional 489 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp grew its holdings in United Parcel Service by 550.8% during the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 204,274 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $20,096,000 after buying an additional 172,887 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

Shares of UPS traded up $1.88 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $112.61. 3,408,694 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,506,363. The stock has a market cap of $95.72 billion, a PE ratio of 18.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $105.35 and its 200-day simple moving average is $105.59. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12 month low of $82.00 and a 12 month high of $122.41.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The transportation company reported $1.07 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $21.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $20.99 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 5.94% and a return on equity of 35.95%. United Parcel Service’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.49 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.11 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 4th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 18th were issued a $1.64 dividend. 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 5.8%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio is presently 106.15%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on UPS. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $127.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Susquehanna boosted their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of United Parcel Service from a “hold (c)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Evercore cut their price target on shares of 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. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $125.00 to $123.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $111.10.

United Parcel Service News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target on UPS to $132 and reiterated a buy rating, while Stephens upgraded the stock to strong-buy, signaling Wall Street sees more upside. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: UPS was added to the Russell 1000 Value Defensive and Russell 1000 Defensive indexes, which can support demand from index-focused investors and highlight the stock’s defensive appeal. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call option buying suggests traders are positioning for continued gains in UPS shares.
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles pointed to UPS’s strong earnings-beat history and growing investor attention ahead of the next quarterly report, reinforcing expectations for another solid print. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: UPS is reshaping its network, likely as part of ongoing operational efficiency efforts, but the article did not indicate an immediate material financial impact. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: UPS and FedEx remaining top logistics companies by market cap is a reminder of the company’s scale, but this is more a sector ranking than a stock-moving catalyst. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General flagged UPS’s air cargo contract with USPS, urging a re-evaluation over volume-guarantee risks and even possible termination if issues are not addressed, which adds uncertainty around parcel volumes and contract revenue. Article Title

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.