Joule Financial LLC Acquires 163 Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Joule Financial LLC raised its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 6.4% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,724 shares of the transportation company’s stock after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the quarter. Joule Financial LLC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $373,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UPS. Tennessee Valley Asset Management Partners acquired a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Northwest Financial Advisors bought a new position in United Parcel Service in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Pineridge Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in United Parcel Service during the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Security National Bank acquired a new stake in United Parcel Service during the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, TruNorth Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service during the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. 60.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

NYSE:UPS traded down $1.00 on Thursday, hitting $126.90. The company had a trading volume of 5,083,013 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,243,853. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 52 week low of $123.12 and a 52 week high of $172.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $108.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.34, a PEG ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 0.98. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $133.54 and a two-hundred day moving average of $142.17.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.79 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.99 by ($0.20). The business had revenue of $21.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.17 billion. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 35.27% and a net margin of 5.87%. United Parcel Service’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.54 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.51 earnings per share for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 19th will be given a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 19th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.14%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 94.49%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director William R. Johnson acquired 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 25th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $128.61 per share, for a total transaction of $643,050.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 5,160 shares in the company, valued at approximately $663,627.60. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.13% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently weighed in on UPS shares. Susquehanna dropped their price target on United Parcel Service from $160.00 to $135.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on United Parcel Service from $156.00 to $134.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $145.00 to $120.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Baird R W upgraded shares of United Parcel Service to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $144.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, United Parcel Service currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $151.20.

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.