Argus Reports Priceline Group (PCLN) Downgrade from “Buy”; Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Has Raised United Parcel Service Cl B (UPS) Stake

December 1, 2017 - By Dolores Ford

Among 31 analysts covering Priceline.com (NASDAQ:PCLN), 25 have Buy rating, 0 Sell and 6 Hold. Therefore 81% are positive. Priceline.com has $230000 highest and $1 lowest target. $1676’s average target is -3.66% below currents $1739.71 stock price. Priceline.com had 94 analyst reports since July 21, 2015 according to SRatingsIntel. The stock has “Overweight” rating by Morgan Stanley on Thursday, June 30. The stock of The Priceline Group Inc. (NASDAQ:PCLN) has “Hold” rating given on Thursday, August 6 by Deutsche Bank. The company was maintained on Wednesday, October 4 by SunTrust. The stock of The Priceline Group Inc. (NASDAQ:PCLN) has “Buy” rating given on Friday, August 7 by Benchmark. The firm has “Hold” rating given on Tuesday, July 25 by Wells Fargo. The firm earned “Overweight” rating on Tuesday, November 7 by Barclays Capital. The rating was maintained by Jefferies on Friday, September 15 with “Buy”. The stock has “Buy” rating by Stifel Nicolaus on Wednesday, August 9. UBS maintained it with “Buy” rating and $2000.0 target in Tuesday, November 7 report. RBC Capital Markets maintained the stock with “Buy” rating in Thursday, November 2 report.

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc increased United Parcel Service Cl B (UPS) stake by 2.05% reported in 2017Q2 SEC filing. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc acquired 3,245 shares as United Parcel Service Cl B (UPS)’s stock declined 3.26%. The Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc holds 161,465 shares with $17.86M value, up from 158,220 last quarter. United Parcel Service Cl B now has $104.66B valuation. The stock increased 2.02% or $2.41 during the last trading session, reaching $121.45. About 5.65 million shares traded or 129.46% up from the average. United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) has risen 2.10% since December 1, 2016 and is uptrending. It has underperformed by 14.60% the S&P500.

Investors sentiment increased to 1.06 in 2017 Q2. Its up 0.05, from 1.01 in 2017Q1. It is positive, as 62 investors sold The Priceline Group Inc. shares while 321 reduced holdings. 96 funds opened positions while 311 raised stakes. 45.36 million shares or 2.62% less from 46.57 million shares in 2017Q1 were reported. Moreover, Chevy Chase Tru has 0.38% invested in The Priceline Group Inc. (NASDAQ:PCLN) for 42,930 shares. Cleararc Capital holds 0.37% or 1,223 shares. New York-based Clinton Grp has invested 0.43% in The Priceline Group Inc. (NASDAQ:PCLN). Shellback Capital L P invested in 1.93% or 12,000 shares. Bath Savings holds 0.09% of its portfolio in The Priceline Group Inc. (NASDAQ:PCLN) for 166 shares. Motco has 16 shares. Ledyard Bank & Trust reported 170 shares or 0.05% of all its holdings. Illinois-based Calamos Wealth Management Lc has invested 0.22% in The Priceline Group Inc. (NASDAQ:PCLN). Moreover, Goldman Sachs Gp has 0.21% invested in The Priceline Group Inc. (NASDAQ:PCLN) for 431,225 shares. 331 were reported by First Heartland Consultants. Pictet Asset Management stated it has 86,603 shares or 0.5% of all its holdings. Geode Mngmt Llc invested in 540,738 shares. Los Angeles Cap Mngmt And Equity Rech accumulated 0.01% or 678 shares. Paradigm Asset Mgmt Co Ltd, New York-based fund reported 50 shares. Artemis Inv Mngmt Limited Liability Partnership stated it has 0.34% in The Priceline Group Inc. (NASDAQ:PCLN).

Since June 15, 2017, it had 0 insider purchases, and 1 insider sale for $221,308 activity. $221,308 worth of The Priceline Group Inc. (NASDAQ:PCLN) shares were sold by Tans Gillian.

The stock increased 0.30% or $5.26 during the last trading session, reaching $1739.71. About 443,703 shares traded. The Priceline Group Inc. (NASDAQ:PCLN) has risen 44.63% since December 1, 2016 and is uptrending. It has outperformed by 27.93% the S&P500.

Analysts await The Priceline Group Inc. (NASDAQ:PCLN) to report earnings on February, 26. They expect $14.24 earnings per share, up 0.21% or $0.03 from last year’s $14.21 per share. PCLN’s profit will be $694.48M for 30.54 P/E if the $14.24 EPS becomes a reality. After $35.22 actual earnings per share reported by The Priceline Group Inc. for the previous quarter, Wall Street now forecasts -59.57% negative EPS growth.

The Priceline Group Inc. provides online travel and restaurant reservation, and related services. The company has market cap of $84.85 billion. The firm operates Booking.com, which offers online accommodation reservations services; and priceline.com that provides hotel, rental car, airline ticket, and vacation package reservation services. It has a 36.95 P/E ratio. It also operates KAYAK, an online price comparison service that allows clients to search and compare travel itineraries and prices, including airline ticket, accommodation reservation, and rental car reservation information from various travel Websites at once; and agoda.com, an online accommodation reservation service primarily for clients in the Asia-Pacific region.

Investors sentiment increased to 1.05 in 2017 Q2. Its up 0.07, from 0.98 in 2017Q1. It improved, as 61 investors sold UPS shares while 410 reduced holdings. 91 funds opened positions while 402 raised stakes. 447.95 million shares or 1.37% less from 454.16 million shares in 2017Q1 were reported. Cambridge Invest Advsrs has 0.19% invested in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS). Waters Parkerson And Lc has 1.14% invested in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS). Umb Comml Bank N A Mo reported 44,748 shares stake. Stephens Incorporated Ar owns 57,491 shares. Cwh Management invested in 1.5% or 25,827 shares. Moneta Grp Incorporated Ltd Company holds 0.05% or 2,825 shares in its portfolio. Tiaa Cref Mngmt Llc reported 2.46 million shares or 0.19% of all its holdings. Eagle Ridge Invest Mngmt owns 71,328 shares. Moors & Cabot invested in 26,608 shares or 0.49% of the stock. Lodestar Inv Counsel Ltd Il has invested 1.04% of its portfolio in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS). Horizon Kinetics Limited Com accumulated 4,078 shares. Pinnacle Wealth Mgmt Advisory Group Limited Liability Company has invested 0.39% in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS). North Carolina-based Bragg Advsr Inc has invested 0.1% in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS). Sns Financial Group Ltd Liability Com accumulated 0.13% or 4,417 shares. Auxier Asset Management holds 0.3% of its portfolio in United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) for 13,341 shares.

Since June 5, 2017, it had 0 buys, and 1 insider sale for $214,980 activity. $214,980 worth of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) was sold by Gutmann Kathleen M. on Monday, June 5.

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc decreased Cms Energy (NYSE:CMS) stake by 83,632 shares to 154,843 valued at $7.16 million in 2017Q2. It also reduced Raytheon (NYSE:RTN) stake by 23,566 shares and now owns 229,759 shares. Blackrock (NYSE:BLK) was reduced too.

Among 20 analysts covering United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS), 7 have Buy rating, 1 Sell and 12 Hold. Therefore 35% are positive. United Parcel Service had 50 analyst reports since July 29, 2015 according to SRatingsIntel. The stock has “Buy” rating by Zacks on Friday, August 14. The stock of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) has “Buy” rating given on Wednesday, July 29 by S&P Research. Citigroup upgraded United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) on Tuesday, August 8 to “Buy” rating. The company was maintained on Wednesday, September 20 by Stifel Nicolaus. The firm has “Hold” rating given on Monday, August 21 by Cowen & Co. BMO Capital Markets maintained the shares of UPS in report on Friday, October 27 with “Market Perform” rating. Loop Capital initiated the stock with “Hold” rating in Tuesday, December 20 report. BMO Capital Markets downgraded United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) on Wednesday, February 1 to “Market Perform” rating. The stock of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) has “Hold” rating given on Friday, October 27 by Loop Capital. BMO Capital Markets maintained United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) on Thursday, June 1 with “Hold” rating.