United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) Shares Sold by Merit Financial Group LLC

Merit Financial Group LLC lessened its position in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report) by 9.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 848,194 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 88,962 shares during the period. United Parcel Service makes up 1.9% of Merit Financial Group LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest position. Merit Financial Group LLC owned approximately 0.10% of United Parcel Service worth $106,957,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. ProVise Management Group LLC raised its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 4.1% during the second quarter. ProVise Management Group LLC now owns 19,695 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $2,695,000 after purchasing an additional 783 shares in the last quarter. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 8.7% during the 2nd quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 12,468 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $1,706,000 after buying an additional 995 shares in the last quarter. Ieq Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 12.0% in the 2nd quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 14,352 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $1,964,000 after acquiring an additional 1,532 shares during the period. Trust Investment Advisors boosted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 2.9% in the second quarter. Trust Investment Advisors now owns 6,615 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $905,000 after acquiring an additional 187 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. increased its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 2.9% during the second quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 138,778 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $18,992,000 after acquiring an additional 3,890 shares during the period. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UPS has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup cut their target price on United Parcel Service from $163.00 to $158.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th. Susquehanna upped their price objective on United Parcel Service from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on United Parcel Service from $165.00 to $162.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $140.00 to $146.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, fifteen have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, United Parcel Service presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $151.10.

Insider Transactions at United Parcel Service

In other news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 7,325 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.57, for a total transaction of $1,015,025.25. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 45,098 shares in the company, valued at $6,249,229.86. This represents a 13.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company's stock.

United Parcel Service Stock Down 0.1 %

NYSE UPS traded down $0.17 during trading on Friday, reaching $129.77. 4,260,034 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,680,905. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $121.56 and a fifty-two week high of $161.35. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $128.95 and its 200-day simple moving average is $130.93. The firm has a market capitalization of $110.74 billion, a PE ratio of 19.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.00.

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

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

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

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.