Dividend Assets Capital LLC Lowers Holdings in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Dividend Assets Capital LLC lowered its stake in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 7.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,026 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 230 shares during the quarter. Dividend Assets Capital LLC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $382,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. True Wealth Design LLC raised its stake in United Parcel Service by 397.7% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 214 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 171 shares during the period. IFS Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 232.3% during the 4th quarter. IFS Advisors LLC now owns 216 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 151 shares during the last quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 720.0% in 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. PSI Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 408.2% in the third quarter. PSI Advisors LLC now owns 249 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FSA Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in United Parcel Service during the third quarter valued at about $36,000. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at United Parcel Service

In related news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 7,325 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.57, for a total value of $1,015,025.25. Following the sale, the insider now owns 45,098 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,249,229.86. This trade represents a 13.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

UPS opened at $116.35 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.17. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 1-year low of $109.40 and a 1-year high of $158.95. The company has a 50-day moving average of $123.21 and a 200-day moving average of $128.33. The company has a market capitalization of $99.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.21, a PEG ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.98.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The transportation company reported $2.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.52 by $0.23. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 39.13% and a net margin of 6.35%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.47 EPS. Equities analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 6th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be issued a dividend of $1.64 per share. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.64%. This is a boost from United Parcel Service’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 18th. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio is 97.04%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Wolfe Research raised United Parcel Service from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $147.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Argus raised shares of United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $135.00 to $120.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Loop Capital cut their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $166.00 to $147.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, fourteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $140.73.

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.