United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS Stake Lessened by Avantax Planning Partners Inc.

Avantax Planning Partners Inc. reduced its position in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 14.7% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 51,129 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 8,779 shares during the period. Avantax Planning Partners Inc.’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $5,030,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Shrier Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service during the fourth quarter worth $1,099,000. LFG Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,207,000. CWM LLC boosted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 49.4% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 297,357 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $29,495,000 after buying an additional 98,309 shares during the period. RiverFront Investment Group LLC boosted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 937.9% during the fourth quarter. RiverFront Investment Group LLC now owns 245,564 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $24,358,000 after acquiring an additional 221,905 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its stake in United Parcel Service by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 4,541,742 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $450,495,000 after purchasing an additional 65,652 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

Shares of United Parcel Service stock opened at $112.74 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $95.83 billion, a PE ratio of 18.24, a PEG 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 stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $105.42 and its 200 day simple moving average is $105.72. 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 issued its quarterly earnings data 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. 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 quarterly revenue was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.49 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.11 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The company 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. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 18th. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is 106.15%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have issued reports on UPS shares. Susquehanna raised their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $127.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Weiss Ratings raised United Parcel Service from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Friday. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of 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. Finally, Evercore lowered their price objective on 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 investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $111.10.

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.