United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Shares Down 2.5% – Here’s What Happened

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)’s share price fell 2.5% on Friday . The stock traded as low as $123.16 and last traded at $123.57. 1,550,794 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 56% from the average session volume of 3,506,072 shares. The stock had previously closed at $126.76.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently issued reports on UPS shares. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. StockNews.com raised United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on United Parcel Service from $134.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Argus upgraded United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on United Parcel Service from $138.00 to $141.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, fourteen have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $151.10.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $105.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.64, a PEG ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $129.54 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $131.21.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The transportation company reported $1.76 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.63 by $0.13. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.25% and a return on equity of 37.38%. The business had revenue of $22.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.10 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.57 earnings per share. United Parcel Service’s revenue was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 5th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.28%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio is presently 98.49%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other United Parcel Service news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 7,325 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.57, for a total value of $1,015,025.25. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 45,098 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,249,229.86. This trade represents a 13.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of United Parcel Service

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in UPS. True Wealth Design LLC increased its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 397.7% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 214 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 171 shares in the last quarter. PSI Advisors LLC increased its stake in United Parcel Service by 408.2% during the 3rd quarter. PSI Advisors LLC now owns 249 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in United Parcel Service by 720.0% during the 3rd quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 246 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 216 shares during the period. FSA Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in United Parcel Service in the third quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 271.7% in the second quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 394 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 288 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Company Profile

United Parcel Service, Inc, a package delivery company, provides transportation and delivery, distribution, contract logistics, ocean freight, airfreight, customs brokerage, and insurance services. It operates through two segments, U.S. Domestic Package and International Package. The U.S. Domestic Package segment offers time-definite delivery of express letters, documents, small packages, and palletized freight through air and ground services in the United States.