Kera Capital Partners Inc. Acquires Stake in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS)

Kera Capital Partners Inc. has announced the acquisition of a new position in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS - Free Report). This transaction was detailed in the company's latest filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. During the fourth quarter, Kera Capital Partners acquired 25,563 shares of UPS, with an estimated value of around $3,223,000.

Investment Activity Among Institutions

Other institutional investors have also adjusted their holdings in UPS. For instance, State Street Corp increased its stake in United Parcel Service by 2.1% during the third quarter, bringing its total to 29,597,425 shares, valued at $4,035,313,000 after acquiring an extra 613,409 shares within that timeframe. Similarly, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings by 6.4% during the same period, owning 21,927,607 shares worth approximately $2,989,609,000 after purchasing an additional 1,320,921 shares. Geode Capital Management LLC also expanded its stake by 2.5%, now holding 15,289,624 shares valued at $2,080,170,000, after acquiring 373,202 more shares. Furthermore, International Assets Investment Management LLC made a remarkable increase of 15,779.6% in its holdings, reaching 14,631,461 shares valued at $1,994,853,000 after buying an additional 14,539,321 shares. Last but not least, FMR LLC also amplified its stake by 3.7%, now owning 10,627,550 shares valued at $1,448,960,000, following an acquisition of 380,229 shares.

Expert Opinions

Several market analysts have shared their views on the stock recently. BMO Capital Markets upgraded United Parcel Service from a "market perform" to an "outperform" rating, while revising their price target down from $155.00 to $150.00 as noted in a report on December 10th. Citigroup, on the other hand, reduced its price target from $163.00 to $158.00 while maintaining a "buy" rating on November 12th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective from $151.00 to $156.00 while also issuing a "buy" rating on the stock. Additionally, Bank of America upgraded its rating from "neutral" to "buy" and set a target price of $150.00. UBS Group increased its price target from $159.00 to $170.00 while giving a "buy" rating as well. The consensus ratings from a collection of research analysts indicate that while two have given the stock a sell rating, five analysts rated it as a hold, and a total of fifteen analysts marked it as a buy, contributing to a consensus rating of a "Moderate Buy" along with a target price estimate of $151.10 according to data from analysts.

Insider Transactions

In recent insider trading news, Norman M. Brothers, Jr., an insider at UPS, sold 7,325 shares on November 25th at an average price of $138.57, totaling about $1,015,025. This sale reduced his holdings by approximately 13.97%, leaving him with 45,098 shares currently valued at around $6,249,229.86.

Stock Performance Overview

As of the latest trading session, UPS opened at $129.77. The company's stock has seen a twelve-month low of $121.56 and a high of $161.35. With a market capitalization of $110.74 billion, United Parcel Service has a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.60. Its PEG ratio stands at 1.73 and the beta is 1.00. The firm's current ratio, along with the quick ratio, is 1.14, while the debt-to-equity ratio is 1.20. For moving averages, the fifty-day simple moving average is noted at $128.95, and the 200-day average is at $130.93.

Earnings Report

United Parcel Service reported its earnings on October 24th, showing earnings per share (EPS) of $1.76, surpassing the estimated $1.63 by $0.13. The company's return on equity reached 37.38% with a net margin of 6.25%. Revenue for the quarter was reported at $22.20 billion, compared to an estimated $22.10 billion, reflecting a year-over-year revenue increase of 5.4% as compared to last year's EPS of $1.57. Analysts predict an EPS of 7.49 for the current fiscal year.

Recent Dividend Declaration

UPS recently announced a quarterly dividend that was paid on December 5th to shareholders who were on record as of November 18th. The dividend was set at $1.63 per share, making for an annualized dividend of $6.52 with a yield of 5.02%. Currently, the dividend payout ratio stands at 98.49%.

About United Parcel Service

United Parcel Service, Inc. specializes in package delivery and logistics services, operating through two primary segments: U.S. Domestic Package and International Package. The U.S. Domestic Package segment handles the timely delivery of express letters, documents, small packages, and large freight items via air and ground transportation throughout the United States.

investment, stock, market