Traders Purchase High Volume of Call Options on United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS)

by · The Markets Daily

United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS – Get Free Report) saw some unusual options trading activity on Monday. Traders bought 40,803 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 47% compared to the average volume of 27,799 call options.

United Parcel Service Stock Performance

Shares of UPS opened at $133.29 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a current ratio of 1.25. The company has a market capitalization of $114.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.32, a PEG ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.99. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $128.69 and its 200 day simple moving average is $138.10. United Parcel Service has a 1 year low of $123.12 and a 1 year high of $163.82.

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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). The firm had revenue of $21.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.17 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 5.87% and a return on equity of 35.27%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.54 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that United Parcel Service will post 7.43 EPS for the current year.

United Parcel Service Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 5th. Investors of record on Monday, August 19th were paid a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.89%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 19th. United Parcel Service’s payout ratio is 94.49%.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Parcel Service

In other United Parcel Service news, Director William R. Johnson acquired 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 25th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $128.61 per share, for a total transaction of $643,050.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 5,160 shares in the company, valued at approximately $663,627.60. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Parcel Service

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Pineridge Advisors LLC purchased a new position in United Parcel Service during the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Security National Bank purchased a new position in United Parcel Service during the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. TruNorth Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in United Parcel Service during the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Stephens Consulting LLC raised its stake in United Parcel Service by 869.6% during the first quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 223 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, Riverview Trust Co purchased a new position in United Parcel Service during the second quarter worth approximately $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 60.26% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UPS has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $175.00 to $159.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $160.00 to $158.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of 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. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on shares of United Parcel Service from $170.00 to $151.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 24th. Finally, Baird R W upgraded shares of United Parcel Service to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $149.68.

Check Out Our Latest Report on UPS

United Parcel Service Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.

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