Signaturefd LLC Raises Holdings in Ultrapar Participações S.A. (NYSE:UGP)

Signaturefd LLC lifted its stake in Ultrapar Participações S.A. (NYSE:UGP) by 23.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 19,705 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,688 shares during the quarter. Signaturefd LLC’s holdings in Ultrapar Participações were worth $52,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of UGP. Point72 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Ultrapar Participações during the third quarter worth $1,595,000. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new position in Ultrapar Participações in the 4th quarter worth $374,000. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Ultrapar Participações during the 3rd quarter worth about $452,000. Hennessy Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Ultrapar Participações by 6.8% during the 4th quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. now owns 1,811,400 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $4,764,000 after purchasing an additional 115,600 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of Ultrapar Participações by 194.7% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 159,142 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $617,000 after purchasing an additional 105,133 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 3.58% of the company’s stock.

Ultrapar Participações Stock Performance

NYSE:UGP opened at $3.10 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.45 billion, a PE ratio of 6.73, a P/E/G ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 1.42. Ultrapar Participações S.A. has a fifty-two week low of $2.53 and a fifty-two week high of $5.85. The company has a fifty day moving average of $2.87 and a two-hundred day moving average of $3.19.

Ultrapar Participações Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th were paid a dividend of $0.0774 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 10th. This represents a yield of 3.8%. Ultrapar Participações’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 33.33%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. HSBC raised Ultrapar Participações from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Ultrapar Participações from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Scotiabank raised shares of Ultrapar Participações to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, December 27th. Hsbc Global Res upgraded Ultrapar Participações from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised Ultrapar Participações from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and decreased their price target for the company from $4.10 to $3.20 in a report on Friday, January 31st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $3.20.

About Ultrapar Participações

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.