Trim 50% now at $102-103, retain 35-40% residual through dividend; hard stop at $99.50
Underweight justified by directional fundamental deterioration (Q2 operating margin at 4.07%, FCF coverage only 12% of dividend) but calibrated trim outperforms binary full-Sell given: (1) 200 SMA at $101.23 has held repeatedly, (2) 6.43% yield creates sticky income bid preventing breakdown, (3) forward P/E of 12.71x is fully priced with no valuation cushion but no asymmetric mispricing for short exposure. Re-engagement requires close above $106.78 with volume confirmation, positive MACD, and single-quarter margin stabilization—stacking too many gates replicates prior positioning errors.
| Position | Action |
|---|---|
| Current levels ($102-103) | Trim ~50% of UPS position immediately |
| Relief bounce materializes | Place GTC limit orders at $106.78 for additional 10-15% trim |
| Through September 3 dividend ex-date | Retain 35-40% as residual core position |
| Price breaks below $99.50 | Hard stop on residual (below 200 SMA at $101.23 with ATR buffer) |
UPS at $102.72 is a high-quality, dividend-paying, globally-dominant logistics franchise trading at trough multiples with a clear operational catalyst path and 6.4% yield as income floor during transition.
| Indicator | Value | Signal |
|---|---|---|
| Close | 102.72 | neutral |
| 10 EMA | 102.84 | bearish |
| 50 SMA | 106.78 | bearish |
| 200 SMA | 101.23 | bullish |
| MACD | -1.45 | bearish |
| RSI | 44.21 | bearish |
| Bollinger Middle | 103.25 | bearish |
| Bollinger Upper | 106.16 | neutral |
| Bollinger Lower | 100.35 | neutral |
| ATR | 2.27 | neutral |
| VWMA | 102.92 | neutral |
This report is AI-generated for informational and educational purposes only and is not investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Full disclaimer.
When: Relief bounce materializes (price reaches $106.78)
Then: Execute additional 10-15% trim via GTC limit order
↩ rebuts: “Bear's 'revenue hole' framing”
EV: +$12.28-$15.28 (Target $115-118 vs $102.72 entry) · concedes: Amazon remains a psychological overhang despite being structurally removed; D/E ratio of 190% represents elevated leverage (though bull notes 1.65x ND/EBITDA is acceptable for IG industrial); Near-term margin compression from $2B+ capex investment (2024-2028 is front-loaded); Bear correctly identifies secular revenue headwinds; transition is real even if cyclical component dominates
UPS is a structurally impaired industrial in secular decline, not a coiled spring; the 6.4% yield is a value trap signal, not a floor, as dividends exceed FCF, net debt rises 41%, and Q2'26 margins have collapsed post-Amazon exit with no visible recovery catalyst.
· concedes: Philippines hub and DOT approval is real infrastructure; China+1 rerouting opportunity is genuine; Fit-to-Serve cost program targets $1B in savings; Healthcare/GLP-1 cold-chain revenue is secular growth opportunity, albeit years away
→ vs conservative: The conservative analyst's 200-SMA bounce and technical confirmation approach misses the asymmetry: one ATR move (2.2%) breaks the 200-SMA; waiting for reclaim at $103.25, MACD recovery, and RSI above 50 means becoming a forced buyer after repricing, not before
→ vs neutral: The neutral forward P/E argument ($8.08 × 12.71 ≈ $102.70) already reflects current price—market is not giving free upside; it is pricing in the recovery and demanding UPS deliver it against deteriorating leverage and margin conversion
→ vs conservative: Waiting for 200-SMA support at $101.23 provides only 1.5% cushion versus ATR of $2.27 (2.2%), not a robust floor; lower Bollinger at $100.35, $99.50 swing-low, and $96–$99 retest are all plausible subsequent targets
→ vs neutral: The 6.43% yield is compensation for payout, leverage, and execution risk, not a put option; FCF covered only 88% of dividends in 2025 and TTM FCF is only $160M above the annual dividend obligation, making dividend sustainability uncertain through 2027
| Close vs VWMA | -0.20 (-0.19%) | neutral |
Support: 100.35 · 101.23 · 99.5 | Resistance: 103.25 · 107.4 · 110.76
Technical picture is mixed-to-cautiously-bearish. UPS has not confirmed a base (no bullish MACD crossover, no RSI >50 breakout, price below 10 EMA and 50 SMA). The 200 SMA at 101.23 is the last major support and remains intact, preventing a fully bearish call. Prudent stance is HOLD—wait for bullish reversal trigger (close above 103.25 with MACD improving) to add exposure, or decisive break below 100.35/200 SMA to reduce exposure. Neither signal has triggered as of 2026-08-24.
Market Cap
$87.39B
PE Ratio (TTM)
19.09
Forward PE
12.71
PEG Ratio
1.59
Price to Book
5.80
EPS (TTM)
$5.38
Forward EPS
$8.08
Dividend Yield
6.43%
Beta
1.04
52-Week High
$122.41
52-Week Low
$82.00
50-Day Moving Avg
$108.40
200-Day Moving Avg
$104.42
Revenue (TTM)
$89.93B
Gross Profit
$20.16B
EBITDA
$12.03B
Net Income (TTM)
$4.57B
Profit Margin
5.08%
Operating Margin
9.05%
Return on Equity (ROE)
29.60%
Return on Assets (ROA)
7.23%
Free Cash Flow (TTM)
$5.56B
Revenue 2022
$100.34B
Revenue 2023
$90.96B
Revenue 2024
$91.07B
Revenue 2025
$88.66B
Net Income 2022
$11.55B
Net Income 2023
$6.71B
Net Income 2024
$5.78B
Net Income 2025
$5.57B
Diluted EPS 2022
$13.20
Diluted EPS 2023
$7.80
Diluted EPS 2024
$6.75
Diluted EPS 2025
$6.56
Q2'26 Revenue
$22.834B
Q2'26 Net Income
$604M
Q2'26 Diluted EPS
$0.71
Q2'26 Operating Income
$930M
Q2'25 Net Income YoY Change
-53%
Total Assets (Q2'26)
$71.27B
Total Liabilities (Q2'26)
$56.17B
Stockholders' Equity (Q2'26)
$15.07B
Total Debt (Q2'26)
$28.67B
Net Debt (Q2'26)
$19.83B
Cash & Equivalents (Q2'26)
$4.65B
Goodwill & Intangibles (2025)
$9.72B
Debt/Equity Ratio
189.9%
Current Ratio (Q2'26)
1.18
Operating Cash Flow 2025
$8.45B
Capital Expenditure 2025
$3.69B
Free Cash Flow 2025
$4.77B
Dividends Paid 2025
$5.40B
Share Repurchases 2025
$1.00B
Net Debt/EBITDA (TTM)
~1.65x
Strengths
Concerns
UPS presents a mixed fundamental picture with multi-year revenue and earnings deterioration (revenue -11.6% from $100.34B to $88.66B, net income -52% from $11.55B to $5.57B over 2022-2025), though Q2'26 YoY decline of 53% in net income despite revenue stability signals ongoing margin pressure. The stock offers an attractive 6.43% dividend yield and reasonable forward PE of 12.71 suggesting analyst confidence in earnings recovery via cost initiatives, but dividend payments now exceed free cash flow ($5.40B vs $4.77B), raising sustainability concerns alongside elevated leverage (Debt/Equity ~190%) and thin 5.08% net margins.
Macro: Fed: 87% probability of zero cuts in 2026 (higher for longer). US recession odds 8% by end-2026. Gold $4,640.80 (+0.36% session), silver +18% MoM. Japan recession odds falling (22%, down 29.5pp WoW). Note: FRED macro series unavailable (no API key); all macro data sourced from Polymarket and news flow.