United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) has been assigned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-five ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $138.09.

UPS has been the subject of several research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $155.00 to $150.00 in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Truist Financial initiated coverage on shares of United Parcel Service in a research note on Thursday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $140.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $135.00 to $120.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Loop Capital decreased their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $133.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 31st.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. IMG Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Generali Investments Management Co LLC purchased a new position in United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. IFS Advisors LLC increased its holdings in United Parcel Service by 232.3% in the fourth quarter. IFS Advisors LLC now owns 216 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 151 shares in the last quarter. Pinney & Scofield Inc. purchased a new position in United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC purchased a new position in United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. 60.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

Shares of UPS stock opened at $116.90 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $120.91 and a 200 day moving average price of $127.38. The company has a market cap of $99.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.29, a PEG ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.94. United Parcel Service has a 12 month low of $109.40 and a 12 month high of $158.95.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The transportation company reported $2.75 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.52 by $0.23. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.35% and a return on equity of 39.13%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.47 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that United Parcel Service will post 7.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 6th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 18th were issued a dividend of $1.64 per share. This is a boost from United Parcel Service’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. This represents a $6.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.61%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 18th. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio is currently 97.04%.

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.