Prosperity Consulting Group LLC Purchases 1,269 Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Prosperity Consulting Group LLC boosted its position in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 74.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,977 shares of the transportation company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,269 shares during the quarter. Prosperity Consulting Group LLC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $443,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in UPS. Lineweaver Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in United Parcel Service by 12.5% during the first quarter. Lineweaver Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 13,654 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,029,000 after acquiring an additional 1,519 shares in the last quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service in the 1st quarter worth approximately $4,270,000. Vantage Investment Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 2.6% in the 1st quarter. Vantage Investment Partners LLC now owns 80,637 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $11,993,000 after buying an additional 2,038 shares during the last quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. increased its position in United Parcel Service by 1.3% during the 1st quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 34,547 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $5,135,000 after buying an additional 431 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ables Iannone Moore & Associates Inc. raised its stake in United Parcel Service by 7.8% during the first quarter. Ables Iannone Moore & Associates Inc. now owns 8,450 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,256,000 after buying an additional 613 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UPS traded up $0.80 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $136.35. 3,237,538 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,794,073. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $140.55 and its 200-day moving average price is $147.77. The firm has a market cap of $116.66 billion, a PE ratio of 19.76, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.98. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 52 week low of $132.90 and a 52 week high of $192.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 1.04.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.43 earnings per share (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 firm had revenue of $21.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $21.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.20 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 8.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 30th. Investors of record on Monday, May 13th were paid a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.78%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 10th. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 94.49%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. TD Cowen lowered their price target on United Parcel Service from $147.00 to $140.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 28th. Redburn Atlantic raised shares of United Parcel Service from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $180.00 target price for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 3rd. Evercore ISI cut their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $157.00 to $145.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, June 24th. Susquehanna raised their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 24th. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their price objective on United Parcel Service from $153.00 to $157.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have issued a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $164.55.

United Parcel Service Profile

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.