Ultrapar Participações (NYSE:UGP) Sees Strong Trading Volume – What’s Next?

Ultrapar Participações S.A. (NYSE:UGP) shares saw strong trading volume on Monday . 3,368,109 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 126% from the previous session’s volume of 1,491,473 shares.The stock last traded at $3.14 and had previously closed at $3.03.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UGP has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Scotiabank raised Ultrapar Participações to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, December 27th. Hsbc Global Res raised Ultrapar Participações from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Ultrapar Participações from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. HSBC raised Ultrapar Participações from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised Ultrapar Participações from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $4.10 to $3.20 in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $3.20.

Ultrapar Participações Price Performance

The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $2.83 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $3.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.57. The company has a market capitalization of $3.47 billion, a PE ratio of 6.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 1.42.

Ultrapar Participações Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.0774 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 10th. Ultrapar Participações’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 33.33%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ultrapar Participações

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Signaturefd LLC raised its stake in shares of Ultrapar Participações by 23.0% in the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 19,705 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $52,000 after acquiring an additional 3,688 shares in the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in Ultrapar Participações by 38.1% in the 4th quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 20,609 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 5,687 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. grew its holdings in Ultrapar Participações by 27.9% in the 4th quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 31,534 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $83,000 after buying an additional 6,882 shares during the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC grew its holdings in Ultrapar Participações by 49.6% in the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 27,813 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $73,000 after buying an additional 9,220 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC grew its holdings in Ultrapar Participações by 26.0% in the 3rd quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 48,712 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $189,000 after buying an additional 10,037 shares during the last quarter. 3.58% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Ultrapar Participações

Ultrapar Participações SA, through its subsidiaries, operates in the energy and infrastructure business in Brazil. The company distributes liquefied petroleum gas to residential, commercial, and industrial consumers, in addition to renewable electricity and compressed natural gas. It also operates in the distribution and marketing of gasoline, ethanol, diesel, fuel oil, kerosene, natural gas for vehicles, and lubricants; and holds AmPm convenience stores and provides JetOil lubricant services.