Your Last Chance to Buy?

• UPS surged higher after a well-received earnings release in October, and has continued to climb higher throughout the holiday season.

• Now trading at around $100 per share, you may be wondering whether now is the time to buy.

• While investor optimism about UPS has been on the rise lately, concerns about its growth prospects and the sustainability of its high dividend could renew as 2026 unfolds.

• 10 stocks we like better than United Parcel Service ›

The holiday shopping season is a busy time for package delivery companies like United Parcel Service (NYSE: UPS). This may be contributing to the stock’s recent strong performance.

UPS shares rallied after a strong earnings release in October and have continued to rally since then. However, before you rush out and buy this hot stock as it crosses the $100-per-share mark, you may want to consider the following.

Many factors affected UPS’s operating performance in recent years. These include the post-pandemic drop in e-commerce volumes and higher labor costs, as well as the impact of competition, including competition from Amazon, one of its largest customers.

However, since the earnings release, future potential, not past challenges, has been top of mind. With UPS delivering an earnings beat during Q3, not to mention a reiteration of its cost-cutting plans, the market expects improved results to continue.

That’s good news for two reasons. First, stronger earnings should lessen concerns about dividend sustainability. UPS has a high forward dividend yield of 6.6%, but the stock’s payout ratio comes in at a staggering 87%. There have been worries about a possible dividend cut. Second, improved profitability and a return to positive revenue growth could help to further bridge the valuation gap between UPS and its competitor, FedEx. UPS currently trades for 13.5 times forward earnings, while FedEx trades at a slightly higher forward P/E of 16.5.

Having said all of this, only time will tell whether UPS continues to climb. Sell-side analysts only expect earnings to rise 4.2% in 2026. While the company beat expectations last quarter, it’s unclear whether this will happen again for this quarter.

Come late January, when UPS reports its next earnings, the results could fall short of expectations, possibly leading to further volatility in the shares. UPS’s turnaround will take years, not quarters, to take shape. Chances are, you probably haven’t missed your last chance to buy this stock for under $100 per share.

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Thomas Niel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon and United Parcel Service. The Motley Fool recommends FedEx. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

UPS Under $100: Your Last Chance to Buy? was originally published by The Motley Fool