ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. Grows Position in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. grew its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 4.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,869 shares of the transportation company’s stock after acquiring an additional 193 shares during the quarter. ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $614,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Cigna Investments Inc. New lifted its position in United Parcel Service by 1.0% during the third quarter. Cigna Investments Inc. New now owns 7,508 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,024,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Banco Santander S.A. lifted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Banco Santander S.A. now owns 12,596 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,717,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Gleason Group Inc. grew its position in United Parcel Service by 1.2% in the third quarter. Gleason Group Inc. now owns 6,576 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $897,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Tradewinds LLC. increased its stake in United Parcel Service by 1.8% in the third quarter. Tradewinds LLC. now owns 4,487 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $612,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Finally, OLD Second National Bank of Aurora raised its position in United Parcel Service by 1.2% during the third quarter. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora now owns 7,177 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $979,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service Trading Down 0.1 %

NYSE:UPS opened at $129.77 on Tuesday. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12 month low of $121.56 and a 12 month high of $161.35. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $128.95 and a 200-day moving average price of $130.87. The stock has a market cap of $110.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 1.00.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The transportation company reported $1.76 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.63 by $0.13. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 37.38% and a net margin of 6.25%. The business had revenue of $22.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.10 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.57 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.49 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.02%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 98.49%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. StockNews.com upgraded United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 6th. Susquehanna increased their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $155.00 to $150.00 in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Bank of America raised shares of United Parcel Service from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 target price on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 16th. Finally, Evercore ISI boosted their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $138.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, fifteen have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, United Parcel Service presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $151.10.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Parcel Service

In other United Parcel Service news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 7,325 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 45,098 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,249,229.86. This trade represents a 13.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

United Parcel Service 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.