Susquehanna Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Stock

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) had its price target upped by equities research analysts at Susquehanna from $105.00 to $115.00 in a research note issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “neutral” rating on the transportation company’s stock. Susquehanna’s price target suggests a potential upside of 7.65% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other research firms have also commented on UPS. BNP Paribas lowered shares of United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 1st. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $91.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of United Parcel Service in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on United Parcel Service from $110.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $111.73.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

UPS traded down $0.08 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $106.83. 2,074,144 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,919,175. United Parcel Service has a 52 week low of $82.00 and a 52 week high of $136.99. The stock has a market cap of $90.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.51, a PEG ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $99.48 and a 200 day moving average of $93.17.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The transportation company reported $1.74 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.31 by $0.43. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.15% and a return on equity of 40.07%. The firm had revenue of $21.42 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $20.94 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.76 EPS. United Parcel Service’s quarterly revenue was down 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that United Parcel Service will post 7.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Parcel Service

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of UPS. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. boosted its stake in United Parcel Service by 1,209.2% in the 4th quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 995 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $99,000 after buying an additional 919 shares in the last quarter. Toth Financial Advisory Corp raised its position in United Parcel Service by 7.1% in the 4th quarter. Toth Financial Advisory Corp now owns 1,775 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $176,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares during the last quarter. Investment Planning Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter worth $267,000. Udine Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at $2,953,000. Finally, Evexia Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at about $256,000. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About United Parcel Service

United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) is a global package delivery and supply chain management company that provides a broad range of transportation, logistics and e-commerce services. Its core business centers on small-package delivery and last-mile distribution for business and individual customers, supported by a network of ground transportation, air cargo operations (UPS Airlines) and sorting facilities. In addition to parcel delivery, UPS offers freight transportation, contract logistics, warehousing, customs brokerage and reverse-logistics solutions designed to support domestic and international commerce.

The company traces its roots to 1907 when it began as a small messenger service in the United States and later evolved into the United Parcel Service.