Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC Has $81.56 Million Stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. $UPS

Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC grew its stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 2.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 976,357 shares of the transportation company’s stock after buying an additional 21,931 shares during the quarter. United Parcel Service makes up 2.7% of Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest holding. Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $81,555,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 63.8% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 12,126 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,529,000 after buying an additional 4,723 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in United Parcel Service during the second quarter valued at about $277,000. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund lifted its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 21.8% in the second quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund now owns 28,141 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,841,000 after acquiring an additional 5,033 shares in the last quarter. SVB Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of United Parcel Service in the second quarter worth about $848,000. Finally, New York Life Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.6% during the second quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC now owns 109,968 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $11,100,000 after purchasing an additional 1,684 shares in the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on UPS. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on United Parcel Service from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Wolfe Research restated a “peer perform” rating on shares of United Parcel Service in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Evercore boosted their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $94.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $112.00 to $116.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane cut United Parcel Service from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $85.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $113.67.

Key United Parcel Service News

Here are the key news stories impacting United Parcel Service this week:

• Positive Sentiment: A U.S. judge has cleared UPS to offer up to $150,000 voluntary buyouts to unionized drivers, allowing the company to move ahead with plans to reduce headcount and reshape its network — a concrete step to accelerate labor-related cost savings. UPS can offer $150,000 buyouts to unionized drivers, US judge rules
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlights UPS’s broader cost plan — including cuts of ~30,000 roles, reduced Amazon volumes and additional network reconfiguration — which management says should deliver multibillion-dollar savings and help margins over time. These actions support the company’s margin-recovery thesis despite near-term disruption. UPS Gets Court Approval for $150K Driver Buyouts: Will This Ease Cost?
• Positive Sentiment: Longer-term investor commentary points to a structural turnaround: targets for higher automation, expansion into healthcare logistics, and a shift from volume growth to higher-margin services that could drive multi-year margin improvement if execution stays on track. United Parcel Service: From Legacy Drag To Margin Inflection
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor attention is elevated (Zacks notes increased searches/interest), which can amplify moves but doesn’t by itself signal a directional catalyst. Watch quarterly updates and execution on buyouts and volume mix for clearer direction. United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Negative Sentiment: Income/valuation concerns persist: analysis argues dividend-cut fears have eased but upside is limited given the current yield and the stock’s valuation; investors seeking significant near-term share-price gains may remain disappointed until clearer revenue recovery. UPS: Dividend Cut Fears Mostly Gone, But So Is The Upside

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 25,014 shares of United Parcel Service stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.15, for a total transaction of $2,655,236.10. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Trading Down 1.2%

Shares of NYSE UPS opened at $113.94 on Thursday. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 1-year low of $82.00 and a 1-year high of $123.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a current ratio of 1.22 and a quick ratio of 1.22. The business’s 50 day moving average is $108.68 and its two-hundred day moving average is $96.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $96.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.37, a PEG ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.11.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The transportation company reported $2.38 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.20 by $0.18. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 38.30% and a net margin of 6.28%.The firm had revenue of $24.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $23.91 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.75 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be paid a $1.64 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $6.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.8%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio is currently 100.00%.

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.