Sovereign Financial Group Inc. Sells 377 Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Sovereign Financial Group Inc. trimmed its holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 1.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 23,063 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 377 shares during the quarter. United Parcel Service makes up about 1.1% of Sovereign Financial Group Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest position. Sovereign Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $3,626,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of UPS. OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service in the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners bought a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Life Planning Partners Inc purchased a new stake in United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Bourgeon Capital Management LLC bought a new position in United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 69.5% in the 3rd quarter. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC now owns 239 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UPS traded up $0.68 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $147.77. The stock had a trading volume of 2,382,775 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,163,646. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $149.35 and a 200-day simple moving average of $150.53. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11. The company has a market capitalization of $126.00 billion, a PE ratio of 21.42, a P/E/G ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 1.05. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 1 year low of $133.68 and a 1 year high of $192.98.

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

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 13th will be given a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 10th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.41%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 94.49%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently issued reports on UPS. HSBC raised shares of United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $150.00 to $170.00 in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Argus lowered United Parcel Service from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on United Parcel Service from $154.00 to $150.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 9th. Evercore ISI reiterated an “in-line” rating and issued a $154.00 target price on shares of United Parcel Service in a report on Wednesday, March 27th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $183.00 to $179.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have given a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $165.23.

About United Parcel Service

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.