Oakworth Capital Inc. Boosts Stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Oakworth Capital Inc. lifted its position in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 10.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,236 shares of the transportation company’s stock after acquiring an additional 404 shares during the quarter. Oakworth Capital Inc.’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $666,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. MWA Asset Management purchased a new position in United Parcel Service in the 3rd quarter valued at about $2,125,000. Chesapeake Wealth Management lifted its stake in United Parcel Service by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 7,886 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,229,000 after buying an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC lifted its stake 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 valued at $60,908,000 after buying an additional 44,721 shares in the last quarter. Telos Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in United Parcel Service by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Telos Capital Management Inc. now owns 74,337 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $11,587,000 after purchasing an additional 740 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ING Groep NV lifted its stake in United Parcel Service by 289.9% in the 3rd quarter. ING Groep NV now owns 60,201 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $9,384,000 after purchasing an additional 44,760 shares in the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Parcel Service Stock Down 0.3 %

Shares of United Parcel Service stock traded down $0.39 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $142.50. 3,053,164 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,304,771. The stock has a market cap of $121.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 1.05. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $149.75 and its 200 day moving average price is $151.40. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12-month low of $133.68 and a 12-month high of $197.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 1.10.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 30th. The transportation company reported $2.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.46 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $24.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $25.40 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 7.37% and a return on equity of 39.46%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $3.62 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 8.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 8th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 20th were given a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 16th. This is a boost from United Parcel Service’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.62. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.58%. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is 83.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UPS has been the topic of a number of research reports. TD Cowen decreased their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $147.00 to $140.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 28th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 27th. TheStreet upgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a “c” rating to a “b-” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 30th. Argus downgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 31st. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have issued a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $165.61.

Insider Activity at United Parcel Service

In related news, Director Eva C. Boratto purchased 1,400 shares of United Parcel Service stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 2nd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $142.30 per share, with a total value of $199,220.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,400 shares in the company, valued at $199,220. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.13% of the stock is owned by corporate 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.