Patrick M Sweeney & Associates Inc. Takes Position in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Patrick M Sweeney & Associates Inc. acquired a new position in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 4,866 shares of the transportation company’s stock, valued at approximately $765,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. MWA Asset Management purchased a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $2,125,000. Chesapeake Wealth Management lifted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.3% during the third quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 7,886 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,229,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC increased its holdings in United Parcel Service by 13.1% in the 4th quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 387,381 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $60,908,000 after buying an additional 44,721 shares during the period. CapWealth Advisors LLC raised its position in United Parcel Service by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. CapWealth Advisors LLC now owns 58,184 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $9,148,000 after buying an additional 686 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Telos Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in United Parcel Service by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Telos Capital Management Inc. now owns 74,337 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $11,587,000 after acquiring an additional 740 shares during the period. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

United Parcel Service Trading Up 0.5 %

NYSE UPS traded up $0.68 on Wednesday, reaching $147.77. The stock had a trading volume of 2,376,042 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,163,646. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12-month low of $133.68 and a 12-month high of $192.98. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $149.35 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $150.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $126.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.42, a P/E/G ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.33 by $0.10. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 37.42% and a net margin of 6.60%. The company had revenue of $21.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $21.84 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.20 earnings per share. United Parcel Service’s quarterly revenue was down 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 8.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 13th will be issued a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.41%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 10th. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is 94.49%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UPS has been the subject of a number of research reports. TheStreet upgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a “c” rating to a “b-” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 30th. Redburn Atlantic raised shares of United Parcel Service from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $180.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 3rd. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 31st. Evercore ISI reiterated an “in-line” rating and issued a $154.00 price objective on shares of United Parcel Service in a research report on Wednesday, March 27th. Finally, Susquehanna raised their target price on United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have issued a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $165.23.

United Parcel Service 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.