Monarch Capital Management Inc. Buys 1,135 Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Monarch Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 4.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 27,180 shares of the transportation company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,135 shares during the quarter. Monarch Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $3,427,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 8.7% in the 2nd quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 12,468 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,706,000 after purchasing an additional 995 shares during the period. Ieq Capital LLC lifted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 12.0% in the second quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 14,352 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,964,000 after buying an additional 1,532 shares during the period. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board lifted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 160.1% in the second quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 257,974 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $35,304,000 after buying an additional 158,784 shares during the period. Bridges Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in United Parcel Service by 113.9% during the second quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,998 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $547,000 after acquiring an additional 2,129 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AE Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in United Parcel Service by 67.1% during the 2nd quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 28,738 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $3,933,000 after acquiring an additional 11,537 shares during the period. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

United Parcel Service stock opened at $129.77 on Friday. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 52 week low of $121.56 and a 52 week high of $161.35. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $128.95 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $130.93. The stock has a market cap of $110.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The transportation company reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.63 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $22.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.10 billion. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 37.38% and a net margin of 6.25%. United Parcel Service’s quarterly revenue was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.57 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.49 earnings per share for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 5th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th were given a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.02%. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is currently 98.49%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently commented on UPS. Oppenheimer upped their target price on United Parcel Service from $140.00 to $146.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Citigroup cut their price target on United Parcel Service from $163.00 to $158.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Barclays reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and set a $120.00 price objective on shares of United Parcel Service in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Wolfe Research raised shares of United Parcel Service from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $147.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, fifteen have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $151.10.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other United Parcel Service news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 7,325 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.57, for a total value of $1,015,025.25. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 45,098 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,249,229.86. This trade represents a 13.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

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.