United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) Shares Purchased by Searle & CO.

Searle & CO. boosted its stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 1.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 15,271 shares of the transportation company’s stock after purchasing an additional 221 shares during the period. Searle & CO.’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $2,401,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UPS. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 17,530 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,756,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. First Financial Corp IN grew its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 24.2% in the fourth quarter. First Financial Corp IN now owns 334 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Gleason Group Inc. increased its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Gleason Group Inc. now owns 6,351 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $999,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the period. Advisors Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 0.5% in the third quarter. Advisors Capital Management LLC now owns 15,085 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,351,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dfpg Investments LLC boosted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Dfpg Investments LLC now owns 25,270 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $3,981,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

UPS traded down $1.56 on Wednesday, hitting $145.92. 2,821,150 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,269,183. The company has a 50 day moving average of $149.54 and a 200-day moving average of $150.80. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12-month low of $133.68 and a 12-month high of $192.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $124.42 billion, a PE ratio of 21.21, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.43 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 company had revenue of $21.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $21.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.20 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 8.23 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Susquehanna upped their price target on United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 24th. TD Cowen decreased their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $147.00 to $140.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 28th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $183.00 to $179.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 28th. HSBC raised shares of United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $150.00 to $170.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. Finally, Argus cut United Parcel Service from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 31st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have issued a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $165.23.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other United Parcel Service news, Director Eva C. Boratto bought 1,400 shares of United Parcel Service stock in a transaction on Friday, February 2nd. The stock was bought at an average price of $142.30 per share, with a total value of $199,220.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 1,400 shares in the company, valued at $199,220. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.