Graham Capital Management L.P. Purchases 279,434 Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

Graham Capital Management L.P. raised its stake in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 1,271.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 301,414 shares of the transportation company’s stock after purchasing an additional 279,434 shares during the quarter. United Parcel Service accounts for about 0.7% of Graham Capital Management L.P.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest position. Graham Capital Management L.P.’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $29,897,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. bought a new stake in United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. bought a new stake in United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Coston McIsaac & Partners increased its stake in United Parcel Service by 77.8% in the fourth quarter. Coston McIsaac & Partners now owns 272 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 119 shares during the period. Torren Management LLC bought a new stake in United Parcel Service in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Winch Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in United Parcel Service by 37.3% in the third quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 456 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Price Performance

Shares of UPS stock opened at $110.15 on Wednesday. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 1 year low of $82.00 and a 1 year high of $122.41. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $103.68 and its 200-day moving average is $104.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $93.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.82, a PEG ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50.

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, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.02 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $21.20 billion for 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%. United Parcel Service’s quarterly revenue was down 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.49 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $125.00 to $123.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Evercore lowered their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $115.00 to $113.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a research note 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 report on Friday, May 8th. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $118.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Susquehanna boosted their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $111.50.

About United Parcel Service

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.