Ultrapar Participações (NYSE:UGP) Hits New 12-Month Low – Time to Sell?

Ultrapar Participações S.A. (NYSE:UGP)’s share price hit a new 52-week low on Monday . The company traded as low as $3.63 and last traded at $3.63, with a volume of 31450 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $3.66.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently commented on UGP. HSBC upgraded Ultrapar Participações from a “reduce” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, July 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on Ultrapar Participações from $5.90 to $5.20 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Hsbc Global Res upgraded shares of Ultrapar Participações from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, July 19th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Ultrapar Participações from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $5.20.

Ultrapar Participações Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $4.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.04, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.60. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $4.04 and its 200 day simple moving average is $4.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a current ratio of 1.55.

Ultrapar Participações (NYSE:UGP) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The oil and gas company reported $0.08 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.08. The firm had revenue of $6.21 billion during the quarter. Ultrapar Participações had a return on equity of 20.24% and a net margin of 2.21%. As a group, analysts expect that Ultrapar Participações S.A. will post 0.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ultrapar Participações Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 19th were paid a dividend of $0.0446 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 19th. This represents a yield of 2.7%. Ultrapar Participações’s payout ratio is 15.38%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Cutter & CO Brokerage Inc. purchased a new position in Ultrapar Participações during the second quarter valued at approximately $57,000. D Orazio & Associates Inc. increased its position in shares of Ultrapar Participações by 30.3% during the second quarter. D Orazio & Associates Inc. now owns 15,046 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 3,498 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Ultrapar Participações by 567.5% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 15,833 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $62,000 after buying an additional 13,461 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. acquired a new position in Ultrapar Participações during the first quarter worth $80,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its position in Ultrapar Participações by 36.1% during the first quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 17,923 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $103,000 after purchasing an additional 4,757 shares during the last quarter. 3.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ultrapar Participações Company Profile

Ultrapar Participações SA, through its subsidiaries, operates in the energy and infrastructure business in Brazil. The company distributes liquefied petroleum gas to residential, commercial, and industrial consumers, in addition to renewable electricity and compressed natural gas. It also operates in the distribution and marketing of gasoline, ethanol, diesel, fuel oil, kerosene, natural gas for vehicles, and lubricants; and holds AmPm convenience stores and provides JetOil lubricant services.