Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. Sells 685 Shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. reduced its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 7.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 8,513 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 685 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc.’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $1,161,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Blackston Financial Advisory Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.4% during the second quarter. Blackston Financial Advisory Group LLC now owns 5,068 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $694,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the period. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 2.1% in the 1st quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC now owns 3,490 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $519,000 after buying an additional 73 shares during the period. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 8,538 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,269,000 after buying an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 8.6% during the first quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. now owns 969 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $144,000 after buying an additional 77 shares during the period. Finally, Gleason Group Inc. lifted its stake in United Parcel Service by 1.2% in the second quarter. Gleason Group Inc. now owns 6,496 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $889,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares during the period. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $165.00 to $162.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on United Parcel Service from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 24th. UBS Group lowered their target price on United Parcel Service from $175.00 to $159.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $144.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on United Parcel Service from $169.00 to $155.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $151.05.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UPS opened at $131.33 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.25 and a quick ratio of 1.25. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 1 year low of $123.12 and a 1 year high of $163.82. The company has a market cap of $112.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.42, a PEG ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.99. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $130.44 and its 200-day moving average price is $136.19.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The transportation company reported $1.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.99 by ($0.20). United Parcel Service had a net margin of 5.87% and a return on equity of 35.27%. The company had revenue of $21.82 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.17 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.54 EPS. United Parcel Service’s revenue was down 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.44 earnings per share for the current year.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 19th were given a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.96%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 19th. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 106.36%.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Parcel Service

In other news, Director William R. Johnson purchased 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 25th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $128.61 per share, for a total transaction of $643,050.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 5,160 shares in the company, valued at approximately $663,627.60. This represents a 3,100.00 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

About United Parcel Service

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.