United Parcel Service Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSE:UPS)
by Danessa Lincoln · The Markets DailyUnited Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS – Get Free Report) was the target of unusually large options trading on Friday. Stock traders acquired 1,506,016 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 2,818% compared to the typical volume of 51,606 call options.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of analysts recently commented on UPS shares. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on United Parcel Service from $112.00 to $116.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $99.00 to $107.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on shares of United Parcel Service from $107.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Wolfe Research reiterated a “peer perform” rating on shares of United Parcel Service in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Evercore raised their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $94.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $113.67.
Check Out Our Latest Report on UPS
Key Headlines Impacting United Parcel Service
Here are the key news stories impacting United Parcel Service this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Last quarter UPS reported better-than-expected results (EPS and revenue beat), which underpins investor confidence in earnings power and supports the rally. MarketBeat: UPS profile
- Positive Sentiment: Options market activity shows large, bullish bets (“whales” positioning), suggesting speculative or hedged interest that can amplify upside momentum. This Is What Whales Are Betting On United Parcel Service
- Neutral Sentiment: Industry trend toward warehouse automation (UPS among adopters) is a multi-year cost and efficiency positive but raises near-term capex and labor-transition risks — investors will watch execution and ROI. How packaging and logistics companies are automating their warehouses
- Neutral Sentiment: Zacks issued a string of mixed estimate revisions (some quarters raised, others cut); the net effect is uncertainty on near-term quarters while longer-term estimates were nudged slightly. Investors should focus on guidance and cadence of margin recovery. MarketBeat: Zacks revisions summary
- Negative Sentiment: UPS’s plan to cut about 30,000 jobs has hit a legal roadblock amid strategic shifts (including Amazon-related contract dynamics), creating uncertainty on cost-savings timing and potential litigation or bargaining costs. UPS’ plan to cut 30,000 jobs hits legal roadblock amid Amazon pivot
- Negative Sentiment: New union litigation and a dispute tied to Temu highlight rising labor and contract risks that could pressure costs, service levels and margins if escalations continue. UPS Union Lawsuit And Temu Dispute Test Labor And Contract Story
- Negative Sentiment: An AmericanBankingNews piece flags a pessimistic near-term Q1 outlook from Zacks, reflecting analyst cuts to early-2026 quarters — a downside catalyst if results or guidance miss. Zacks Research Has Pessimistic Outlook of UPS Q1 Earnings
United Parcel Service Stock Up 0.9%
Shares of NYSE:UPS traded up $1.08 on Friday, hitting $119.15. 4,969,237 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,038,379. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $106.03 and a 200-day simple moving average of $94.70. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45. The company has a market cap of $101.09 billion, a PE ratio of 18.16, a PEG ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.11. United Parcel Service has a 52 week low of $82.00 and a 52 week high of $123.70.
United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The transportation company reported $2.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.20 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $24.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $23.91 billion. United Parcel Service had a net margin of 6.28% and a return on equity of 38.30%. United Parcel Service’s revenue was down 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.75 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that United Parcel Service will post 7.95 earnings per share for the current year.
United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 5th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be issued a dividend of $1.64 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $6.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.5%. United Parcel Service’s dividend payout ratio is presently 100.00%.
Insider Buying and Selling at United Parcel Service
In other news, insider Norman M. Brothers, Jr. sold 25,014 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.15, for a total transaction of $2,655,236.10. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Parcel Service
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UPS. Andra AP fonden raised its stake in United Parcel Service by 95.9% during the 2nd quarter. Andra AP fonden now owns 332,983 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $33,611,000 after purchasing an additional 163,000 shares during the period. BLVD Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in United Parcel Service in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,479,000. Strategic Planning Inc. purchased a new stake in United Parcel Service during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $3,885,000. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. raised its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 14.6% during the second quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 94,361 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $9,525,000 after buying an additional 12,035 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Equity Investment Corp raised its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 16.8% during the second quarter. Equity Investment Corp now owns 1,130,550 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $114,118,000 after buying an additional 162,364 shares during the last quarter. 60.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
United Parcel Service Company Profile
United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS) is a global package delivery and supply chain management company that provides a broad range of transportation, logistics and e-commerce services. Its core business centers on small-package delivery and last-mile distribution for business and individual customers, supported by a network of ground transportation, air cargo operations (UPS Airlines) and sorting facilities. In addition to parcel delivery, UPS offers freight transportation, contract logistics, warehousing, customs brokerage and reverse-logistics solutions designed to support domestic and international commerce.
The company traces its roots to 1907 when it began as a small messenger service in the United States and later evolved into the United Parcel Service.