Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH) Shares Gap Up – Still a Buy?

Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:ULH)’s share price gapped up before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $18.70, but opened at $19.40. Universal Logistics shares last traded at $19.39, with a volume of 1,118 shares.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on ULH. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Universal Logistics from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Universal Logistics in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on shares of Universal Logistics from $17.00 to $15.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Universal Logistics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Universal Logistics presently has a consensus rating of “Sell” and a consensus target price of $15.00.

Universal Logistics Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a current ratio of 1.20. The company has a market capitalization of $499.45 million, a PE ratio of -10.29 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $16.41 and a 200 day moving average price of $17.29.

Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The transportation company reported $0.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.13 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $379.32 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $380.40 million. Universal Logistics had a negative net margin of 3.16% and a positive return on equity of 1.99%. Equities analysts forecast that Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. will post 0.5 EPS for the current year.

Universal Logistics Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.105 per share. This represents a $0.42 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 1st. Universal Logistics’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -22.83%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal Logistics

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ULH. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its position in shares of Universal Logistics by 102.3% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,428 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 722 shares during the last quarter. Archer Investment Corp bought a new stake in Universal Logistics in the first quarter valued at about $48,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its stake in Universal Logistics by 403.5% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,130 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 1,707 shares in the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new stake in Universal Logistics during the second quarter valued at approximately $75,000. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company MN lifted its holdings in Universal Logistics by 46.2% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 7,579 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $115,000 after buying an additional 2,396 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 25.50% of the company’s stock.

Universal Logistics Company Profile

Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc is a diversified, asset-light third-party logistics provider offering transportation and supply chain solutions across North America and around the globe. Its service portfolio encompasses truckload, less-than-truckload, intermodal, and specialized freight services, supported by dedicated brokerage, warehousing, and distribution management capabilities.

Originally incorporated as Universal Truckload Services, Inc, the company has evolved beyond its core truckload heritage to a one-stop logistics platform.