Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS).And retail traders should know.We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with UPS, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.So how do we know what these investors just did? Today, Benzinga's options scanne ...

Amazon is drawing up plans to expand its own national delivery operations and potentially phase out its long-running reliance on the US Postal Service (USPS), after negotiations over a new shipping agreement stalled, as reported by The Washington Post. The e-commerce giant has been in talks with USPS over so-called “negotiated service agreements” - arrangements that set bespoke prices and delivery commitments for the agency’s largest shipping clients. Amazon had sought a fresh deal that would secure more ...

Core Insights - Evri, the UK's worst parcel delivery company, paid a £108 million dividend to its parent company Apollo shortly after being acquired by the US private equity firm [1][2] - The dividend was used to service debts related to its former owner Advent and to cover fees from Apollo's £2.7 billion takeover [2] - Evri continues to face scrutiny over its service performance, ranking last in an Ofcom survey with over 40% of respondents dissatisfied [3] Financial Performance - Evri reported record pre-tax profits of £176 million from revenues of £1.9 billion, with parcel volumes increasing by 11% to over 800 million [7] - The company has continued to grow, with parcel volumes reaching 425 million in the first half of the year [8] Market Position and Investments - Evri has invested £100 million into service and operations over the last three years, including £30 million during the current peak period [4] - The company has strengthened its market position through the acquisition of DHL's e-commerce business, which will enable it to handle over one billion parcels annually [8] - Evri also acquired customs clearance and logistics specialist Coll8 to enhance its cross-border operations in Ireland and the EU [8] Customer Satisfaction and Complaints - Complaints against Evri include delivery delays and parcels being left in inappropriate locations, with one in four shoppers experiencing issues during the last Christmas [4][5] - The company was ranked third equal in a separate parcel league table by Citizens Advice, indicating some competitive positioning despite ongoing service issues [5]

Core Insights - UPS has announced a significant reduction in its workforce, cutting 48,000 jobs in 2025 as part of a consolidation and cost-saving strategy [1][2][6] - The company aims to achieve $3.5 billion in total cost savings by 2025 through its "Network Reconfiguration and Efficiency Reimagined" plan, which is expected to conclude in 2027 [6] Workforce Reduction - The majority of the job cuts, approximately 34,000, are from the operational workforce, including drivers, with 14,000 positions eliminated from management [1][2] - CFO Brian Dykes noted that 90% of the full-time drivers who took voluntary buyouts left the company by August 31 [2] Facility Closures - UPS has closed daily operations at 93 leased and owned buildings during the first nine months of 2025 and is considering further closures as part of its efficiency plan [2][6] - Earlier in 2024, UPS announced plans to lay off about 20,000 workers and close around 73 facilities due to economic conditions and changes in tariffs [3] Financial Performance - For the third quarter, UPS reported revenues of $21.4 billion and a net income of $1.31 billion, translating to earnings of $1.55 per share [5] - The company handled 19.4 million packages in the quarter, reflecting a 9.8% year-over-year decline [5] Strategic Shift - CEO Carol Tomé described the current turnaround effort as "the most significant strategic shift in our company's history," emphasizing the goal to run the most efficient peak shipping season while maintaining high service standards [2]

Core Insights - UPS has implemented deeper job cuts than initially anticipated, reducing its operational workforce by approximately 34,000 positions, exceeding the earlier estimate of 20,000 layoffs announced in April [1][2] - The company also cut 14,000 management jobs, aligning with previous projections [1] Financial Performance - UPS reported a revenue decline of 3.7 percent to $21.4 billion, with net income at $1.3 billion, translating to an adjusted profit of $1.74 per share, surpassing analyst expectations of $20.8 billion in revenue and $1.30 per share in adjusted earnings [3] - For the fourth quarter, UPS anticipates revenue of approximately $24 billion, a decrease of 2.8 percent from $25.3 billion the previous year, but expects improved adjusted operating margins between 11 percent to 11.5 percent of sales [4] Operational Changes - The company experienced a significant decline in average daily volumes, which fell by 12.3 percent to 16.2 million packages, leading to a 26 percent drop in U.S. revenue to $14.2 billion [5] - A major factor in the volume decline is UPS's decision to reduce its handling of Amazon's packages by over 50 percent by the second half of 2026, as part of a strategy to eliminate less profitable e-commerce volume and enhance revenue per package [5]

Core Insights - United Parcel Service (UPS) exceeded analysts' profit expectations for Q3 and forecasted revenue above Wall Street's estimates for the holiday season, relying on price increases to counteract weak business-to-business demand in the U.S. [1][2] Financial Performance - UPS reported an adjusted profit of $1.74 per share for the three months ending September 30, surpassing the average analyst expectation of $1.30 [4] - The company achieved consolidated revenue of $21.41 billion, exceeding expectations of $20.83 billion [4] Future Outlook - UPS projects fourth-quarter revenue to be approximately $24 billion, while analysts had anticipated an average of $23.8 billion [3] - The company is focusing on rate hikes, cost reductions, and prioritizing high-margin shipments to stabilize its business ahead of the critical holiday season [2] Strategic Adjustments - UPS is reducing the number of packages delivered for its largest customer, Amazon.com, to enhance profit margins [3] - The peak holiday shipping and return season is expected to see daily average volumes double, lasting from November to the end of January [3]

Core Insights - Australia Post Group will invest US$324 million to construct an ultra-large parcel processing center in South Australia, marking its largest investment in the region to modernize its network for e-commerce delivery [1][2] Investment and Facility Details - The new facility will span 893,400 square feet, making it the largest parcel processing center in Australia and a model for future automated sorting facilities [2] - Scheduled to open in 2028, the facility will utilize advanced sortation technology, capable of processing up to 400,000 parcels per day, effectively doubling the current capacity at the Adelaide Airport Parcel Facility [3] Operational Efficiency and Market Demand - The facility will integrate operations of Australia Post and its subsidiary StarTrack, enhancing parcel processing and customer experience in South Australia [3][4] - With 80% of South Australians shopping online in the past year, the new facility aims to meet the growing e-commerce demand over the next two decades [4] Expansion Plans - Australia Post is also developing a multimillion-dollar parcel facility on the Sunshine Coast, expected to open in late 2026, which will process up to 16,000 parcels daily, increasing to 21,000 during peak seasons [5] - The Sunshine Coast has seen a 10% annual increase in parcel volumes, outpacing the national average of 6% [6] - Recent expansions include plans for six new parcel facilities in New South Wales and a new international commercial facility at Melbourne Airport to expedite international parcel clearance [6][7]

Core Insights - Investors with significant capital have adopted a bearish outlook on United Parcel Service (UPS), indicating potential insider knowledge of upcoming events [1] - The sentiment among large traders is mixed, with 42% bullish and 46% bearish positions observed [2] - The price movement expectations for UPS are projected within a range of $65.0 to $125.0 over the past quarter [3] Options Trading Activity - A total of 28 unusual options trades for UPS were identified, with 4 puts totaling $236,375 and 24 calls amounting to $1,201,960 [2] - The analysis of volume and open interest provides insights into the liquidity and interest in UPS options, particularly within the $65.0 to $125.0 strike price range over the last 30 days [4] Company Overview - UPS is the largest parcel delivery company globally, operating over 500 planes and 100,000 vehicles, delivering approximately 22 million packages daily [10] - Domestic package operations in the US account for about 65% of UPS's total revenue, while international packages contribute 20% [10] Analyst Ratings - Recent analyst ratings indicate a cautious outlook for UPS, with an average price target of $86.67 from three analysts [12] - B of A Securities has maintained an Underperform rating with a target of $81, while BMO Capital has lowered its rating to Market Perform with a new target of $96 [13]

Core Viewpoint - The implementation of demand surcharges by major parcel carriers like UPS and FedEx is being questioned as the market faces reduced retail sales and capacity cuts, potentially driving shippers to alternative delivery options [2][5][8]. Demand and Capacity - During the peak season, an estimated 2.3 billion packages are expected to be delivered in the U.S., which is a 5% increase from the previous year, primarily due to an extra shopping day [3]. - Average daily volume for the holiday shopping season is projected to increase by low double-digits compared to earlier this year, contrasting sharply with nearly 100% growth in 2013 and 50% during the 2020 pandemic [4]. Surcharges and Market Reactions - UPS has introduced an $8.25 surcharge for packages requiring additional handling, set to rise to $10.80 on November 23, with additional surcharges for ground and overnight air shipments starting October 26 [2]. - Critics argue that surcharges in a softer market are short-sighted and may lead to a loss of market share as shippers seek alternatives [5][6][7]. Competitive Landscape - FedEx and UPS are losing market share to competitors like Amazon, Walmart, and independent carriers, with Amazon's domestic parcel volumes increasing by 6.1% in the first half of the year, while UPS and USPS saw declines of 5.4% and 6.7%, respectively [9][10]. - The trend of retailers like Walmart and Target expanding their delivery capabilities is further shrinking the market for traditional carriers [11]. Future Outlook - ShipMatrix predicts that without changes, Amazon, Walmart, and independent carriers will deliver more parcels than the major carriers combined by 2027 [13]. - The diversification of carriers is expected to continue, driven by the adoption of multi-carrier shipping software and the use of gig workers for deliveries [15].

Core Insights - ZTO Express shares have declined 18.7% over the past year, underperforming the transportation-services industry's 14.5% decline [1][9] Financial Performance - ZTO Express is facing increasing pressure on its bottom line due to rising expenses, with a 14.2% year-over-year increase in total cost of revenues in 2024 and a 21.5% increase in the first half of 2025, primarily driven by higher sorting hub operating costs [4] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ZTO's 2025 earnings has been revised downward by 4.52% in the past 60 days, with a 2.35% downward revision for 2026, indicating a lack of confidence from brokers [7] Market Guidance - ZTO Express has lowered its 2025 parcel volume guidance to a range of 38.8 billion to 40.1 billion, reflecting a year-over-year growth of 14-18%, down from a previous guidance of 40.8 billion to 42.2 billion, which indicated a growth of 20-24% [5][9] Competitive Landscape - The domestic express delivery market is highly competitive, with major players like SF Express and STO Express, which may further pressure ZTO's stock price if competition intensifies [6] Industry Context - ZTO belongs to an industry currently ranked 206 out of 248 groups by Zacks, placing it in the bottom 16% of Zacks industries, suggesting that the overall industry performance significantly impacts stock price movements [10]