Palouse Capital Management Inc. Cuts Position in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Palouse Capital Management Inc. lessened its position in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 10.0% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 12,703 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 1,414 shares during the quarter. Palouse Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $1,997,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $87,000. Greenleaf Trust boosted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 7.0% in the 4th quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 11,493 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,807,000 after purchasing an additional 752 shares during the period. RIA Advisory Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 798.6% in the 4th quarter. RIA Advisory Group LLC now owns 17,919 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,817,000 after purchasing an additional 15,925 shares during the period. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 151.5% in the 4th quarter. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC now owns 9,656 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,518,000 after purchasing an additional 5,817 shares during the period. Finally, Cutler Investment Counsel LLC boosted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 77.2% in the 4th quarter. Cutler Investment Counsel LLC now owns 3,653 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $574,000 after purchasing an additional 1,592 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Stock Up 0.0 %

NYSE:UPS traded up $0.03 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $142.77. 5,064,272 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,320,233. The company has a fifty day moving average of $149.48 and a 200 day moving average of $151.19. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a twelve month low of $133.68 and a twelve month high of $197.80. The company has a market capitalization of $121.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.33, a P/E/G ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 30th. The transportation company reported $2.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.46 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $24.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.40 billion. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 39.46% and a net margin of 7.37%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.62 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 8.2 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 8th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 20th were paid a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.57%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 16th. This is an increase from United Parcel Service’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.62. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is presently 83.70%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UPS has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Daiwa Capital Markets cut United Parcel Service from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $155.00 target price for the company. in a report on Tuesday, December 26th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on United Parcel Service from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 27th. Susquehanna restated a “neutral” rating and set a $150.00 price objective on shares of United Parcel Service in a report on Wednesday, March 27th. UBS Group upgraded United Parcel Service from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $160.00 to $175.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. Finally, Argus cut United Parcel Service from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have assigned a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $165.61.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Parcel Service

In other news, Director Eva C. Boratto purchased 1,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 2nd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $142.30 per share, for a total transaction of $199,220.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 1,400 shares in the company, valued at $199,220. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

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.