Equity Investment Corp Increases Stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

Equity Investment Corp boosted its position in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 2.8% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 1,541,675 shares of the transportation company’s stock after acquiring an additional 41,847 shares during the period. United Parcel Service accounts for 3.1% of Equity Investment Corp’s holdings, making the stock its 5th largest holding. Equity Investment Corp’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $152,919,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Coston McIsaac & Partners lifted its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 77.8% in the 4th quarter. Coston McIsaac & Partners now owns 272 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 119 shares during the period. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new position in United Parcel Service during the 4th quarter valued at about $40,000. Activest Wealth Management lifted its position in United Parcel Service by 144.3% during the 4th quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 408 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 241 shares during the period. Finally, Optima Capital LLC purchased a new position in United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter worth about $44,000. Institutional investors own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE UPS opened at $108.65 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $103.03 and a 200 day moving average of $104.03. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $92.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.05. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12-month low of $82.00 and a 12-month high of $122.41.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The transportation company reported $1.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $21.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.99 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 5.94% and a return on equity of 35.95%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.49 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.1 earnings per share for the current year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 18th were issued a dividend of $1.64 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 18th. This represents a $6.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.0%. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is currently 106.15%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have issued reports on UPS. Evercore decreased their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $115.00 to $113.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of United Parcel Service from a “hold (c)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $125.00 to $123.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $118.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $111.50.

United Parcel Service Profile

United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) is a global package delivery and supply chain management company that provides a broad range of transportation, logistics and e-commerce services. Its core business centers on small-package delivery and last-mile distribution for business and individual customers, supported by a network of ground transportation, air cargo operations (UPS Airlines) and sorting facilities. In addition to parcel delivery, UPS offers freight transportation, contract logistics, warehousing, customs brokerage and reverse-logistics solutions designed to support domestic and international commerce.

The company traces its roots to 1907 when it began as a small messenger service in the United States and later evolved into the United Parcel Service.