Strategic Blueprint LLC Buys 108 Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Strategic Blueprint LLC increased its stake in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 1.4% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 7,894 shares of the transportation company’s stock after buying an additional 108 shares during the period. Strategic Blueprint LLC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $1,080,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in United Parcel Service by 87.6% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 18,152,900 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,854,180,000 after buying an additional 8,475,698 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter worth about $1,128,322,000. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in United Parcel Service by 208.1% during the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,717,391 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $270,025,000 after purchasing an additional 1,160,005 shares in the last quarter. Spirepoint Private Client LLC purchased a new position in United Parcel Service during the first quarter worth approximately $160,787,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position in United Parcel Service by 11.4% during the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 9,607,055 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,510,517,000 after purchasing an additional 980,317 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at United Parcel Service

In other news, Director William R. Johnson purchased 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 25th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $128.61 per share, with a total value of $643,050.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 5,160 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $663,627.60. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

UPS traded up $0.07 during trading on Thursday, reaching $127.26. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 315,530 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,222,793. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 52-week low of $123.12 and a 52-week high of $172.75. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $132.96 and its 200-day moving average price is $141.66. The company has a market capitalization of $109.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a current ratio of 1.25.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.79 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.99 by ($0.20). United Parcel Service had a net margin of 5.87% and a return on equity of 35.27%. The business had revenue of $21.82 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.17 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.54 EPS. United Parcel Service’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 19th will be paid a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.12%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 19th. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 94.49%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on UPS shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $144.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on United Parcel Service from $156.00 to $134.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Bank of America lowered their price target on United Parcel Service from $160.00 to $158.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 22nd. Stephens decreased their target price on United Parcel Service from $168.00 to $140.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on United Parcel Service from $170.00 to $151.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. One 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 data from MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $151.20.

United Parcel Service Company 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.