United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) Upgraded to "Buy" at StockNews.com

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday.

UPS has been the topic of several other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $140.00 to $139.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Evercore ISI increased their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $138.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an "in-line" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on United Parcel Service from $140.00 to $146.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday. Barclays reiterated an "underweight" rating and issued a $120.00 price objective on shares of United Parcel Service in a report on Monday, October 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on United Parcel Service from $134.00 to $142.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $151.71.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

UPS stock traded down $2.09 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $135.34. 3,753,063 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,220,409. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $131.02 and a 200 day moving average price of $135.81. United Parcel Service has a 12 month low of $123.12 and a 12 month high of $163.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 1.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $115.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.44, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.99.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The transportation company reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 firm had revenue of $22.20 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.10 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.57 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service will post 7.41 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Parcel Service

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UPS. Natixis bought a new stake in United Parcel Service during the first quarter valued at approximately $121,000. Cohen Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 26.4% during the 3rd quarter. Cohen Investment Advisors LLC now owns 18,357 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $2,503,000 after acquiring an additional 3,835 shares during the period. Financial Partners Group LLC increased its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 23.9% in the 2nd quarter. Financial Partners Group LLC now owns 26,319 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $3,602,000 after purchasing an additional 5,069 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. raised its holdings in United Parcel Service by 12.3% in the 1st quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 59,567 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $8,853,000 after purchasing an additional 6,502 shares during the period. Finally, Nvwm LLC raised its holdings in United Parcel Service by 3.7% in the 1st quarter. Nvwm LLC now owns 2,685 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $399,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the period. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.

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