United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) Shares Purchased by Bourne Lent Asset Management Inc.

Bourne Lent Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by 8.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 25,658 shares of the transportation company’s stock after buying an additional 1,999 shares during the period. United Parcel Service makes up approximately 1.2% of Bourne Lent Asset Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest holding. Bourne Lent Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $3,235,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Simon Quick Advisors LLC lifted its position in United Parcel Service by 6.7% during the fourth quarter. Simon Quick Advisors LLC now owns 4,066 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $513,000 after purchasing an additional 257 shares during the period. Sheets Smith Wealth Management lifted its holdings in United Parcel Service by 32.9% in the fourth quarter. Sheets Smith Wealth Management now owns 2,430 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $306,000 after acquiring an additional 602 shares during the period. Octavia Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in United Parcel Service by 70.7% in the 4th quarter. Octavia Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 7,995 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,008,000 after purchasing an additional 3,311 shares in the last quarter. Atomi Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of United Parcel Service by 44.9% during the 4th quarter. Atomi Financial Group Inc. now owns 11,095 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,399,000 after purchasing an additional 3,440 shares during the period. Finally, Brookmont Capital Management increased its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service by 26.5% during the 4th quarter. Brookmont Capital Management now owns 27,167 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $3,426,000 after purchasing an additional 5,691 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently commented on UPS shares. Bank of America upgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 16th. Barclays reiterated an “underweight” rating and set a $120.00 price target on shares of United Parcel Service in a research report on Monday, October 21st. StockNews.com upgraded United Parcel Service from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 6th. UBS Group increased their target price on United Parcel Service from $159.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Wolfe Research raised shares of United Parcel Service from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $147.00 price target for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, fifteen have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $151.10.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 7,325 shares of United Parcel Service stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.57, for a total transaction of $1,015,025.25. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 45,098 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,249,229.86. This trade represents a 13.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

NYSE UPS opened at $132.96 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $113.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 52-week low of $121.56 and a 52-week high of $161.35. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $128.92 and its 200 day moving average price is $130.83.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The transportation company reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.63 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $22.20 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.10 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.25% and a return on equity of 37.38%. The firm’s revenue was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.57 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 7.49 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, December 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.90%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 98.49%.

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.