United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Stock Price Up 0.8% After Dividend Announcement

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) shares shot up 0.8% during mid-day trading on Thursday after the company announced a dividend. The company traded as high as $147.78 and last traded at $147.09. 328,308 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 92% from the average session volume of 4,221,791 shares. The stock had previously closed at $145.92.

The newly announced dividend which will be paid on Thursday, May 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 13th will be paid a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.43%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio is presently 94.49%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have issued reports on UPS shares. UBS Group raised United Parcel Service from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $160.00 to $175.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. Argus downgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 31st. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $157.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 24th. Oppenheimer increased their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $153.00 to $157.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 24th. Finally, Susquehanna lifted their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have assigned a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $165.23.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $125.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.05. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $149.49 and a 200-day moving average of $150.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.10.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.33 by $0.10. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.60% and a return on equity of 37.42%. The business had revenue of $21.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.84 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.20 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 8.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Eva C. Boratto purchased 1,400 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 2nd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $142.30 per share, with a total value of $199,220.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $199,220. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.13% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Lincoln National Corp lifted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 12.6% during the 1st quarter. Lincoln National Corp now owns 16,823 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,500,000 after purchasing an additional 1,887 shares during the last quarter. Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 57.7% in the first quarter. Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC now owns 9,201 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,368,000 after purchasing an additional 3,367 shares during the period. Mendel Money Management lifted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 209.1% during the 1st quarter. Mendel Money Management now owns 6,211 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $923,000 after buying an additional 11,903 shares during the last quarter. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 16.0% during the 1st quarter. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,810 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $418,000 after buying an additional 387 shares during the period. Finally, Choreo LLC grew its stake in United Parcel Service by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 138,267 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $20,550,000 after buying an additional 509 shares during the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.