United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) Shares Acquired by Everence Capital Management Inc.

Everence Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 70.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 21,350 shares of the transportation company’s stock after buying an additional 8,810 shares during the quarter. Everence Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $2,692,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in United Parcel Service by 4.3% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 829,280 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $113,064,000 after purchasing an additional 33,989 shares in the last quarter. Synovus Financial Corp increased its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 8.6% during the 3rd quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 87,531 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $11,934,000 after purchasing an additional 6,941 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp raised its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 1,061.1% in the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,772,765 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $232,959,000 after buying an additional 1,620,091 shares in the last quarter. Cohen Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 26.4% in the third quarter. Cohen Investment Advisors LLC now owns 18,357 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,503,000 after buying an additional 3,835 shares during the period. Finally, Weaver C. Barksdale & Associates Inc. boosted its stake in United Parcel Service by 71.8% during the second quarter. Weaver C. Barksdale & Associates Inc. now owns 14,530 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,988,000 after buying an additional 6,073 shares in the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Parcel Service Stock Down 0.5 %

UPS stock traded down $0.62 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $123.25. The company had a trading volume of 1,198,482 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,018,905. The company has a 50 day moving average of $130.73 and a two-hundred day moving average of $131.69. The company has a market capitalization of $105.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.62, a PEG ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 0.98. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 1 year low of $122.01 and a 1 year high of $161.48. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20.

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

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.29%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio is 98.49%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Susquehanna boosted their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $163.00 to $158.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $134.00 to $142.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 10th. Bank of America increased their price objective on United Parcel Service from $132.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on United Parcel Service from $140.00 to $139.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 25th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $151.10.

Insider Activity at United Parcel Service

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 transaction of $1,015,025.25. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 45,098 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,249,229.86. This represents a 13.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.