United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) Shares Sold by Clarius Group LLC

Clarius Group LLC decreased its position in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 15.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,583 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 471 shares during the quarter. Clarius Group LLC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $326,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cigna Investments Inc. New grew its position in United Parcel Service by 1.0% during the third quarter. Cigna Investments Inc. New now owns 7,508 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,024,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the period. Banco Santander S.A. grew its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Banco Santander S.A. now owns 12,596 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,717,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares during the period. Gleason Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Gleason Group Inc. now owns 6,576 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $897,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Tradewinds LLC. raised its holdings in United Parcel Service by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Tradewinds LLC. now owns 4,487 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $612,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the period. Finally, OLD Second National Bank of Aurora boosted its position in United Parcel Service by 1.2% during the third quarter. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora now owns 7,177 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $979,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

Shares of United Parcel Service stock opened at $129.77 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $110.74 billion, a PE ratio of 19.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 52 week low of $121.56 and a 52 week high of $161.35. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $128.95 and its 200-day simple moving average is $130.90.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The transportation company reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 company had revenue of $22.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.10 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.57 earnings per share. United Parcel Service’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.49 earnings per share for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced 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 was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.02%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 98.49%.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Parcel Service

In related news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 7,325 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.57, for a total transaction of $1,015,025.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 45,098 shares in the company, valued at $6,249,229.86. This trade represents a 13.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.13% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Wolfe Research upgraded United Parcel Service from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $147.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $151.00 to $156.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $138.00 to $141.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $140.00 to $146.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Argus upgraded United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, fifteen have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $151.10.

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.