Universal (NYSE:UVV) Posts Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.57 EPS

Universal (NYSE:UVV) posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday. The company reported $1.35 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.92 by ($0.57), FiscalAI reports. Universal had a net margin of 3.74% and a return on equity of 8.24%. The business had revenue of $861.29 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $927.20 million.

Universal Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of UVV opened at $57.89 on Monday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $54.33 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $54.10. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 2.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The company has a market capitalization of $1.44 billion, a PE ratio of 13.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.05 and a beta of 0.66. Universal has a 52-week low of $49.96 and a 52-week high of $67.33.

Universal Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 4th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 15th will be paid a $0.82 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 15th. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.7%. Universal’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 73.87%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Universal by 1.6% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,378,295 shares of the company’s stock worth $80,272,000 after buying an additional 21,763 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in Universal by 21.2% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 815,801 shares of the company’s stock worth $45,579,000 after acquiring an additional 142,439 shares in the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd boosted its holdings in Universal by 5.9% during the 3rd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 463,805 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,913,000 after acquiring an additional 25,671 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC increased its stake in Universal by 1,575.1% during the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 279,058 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,591,000 after purchasing an additional 262,399 shares during the period. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Universal by 4.9% during the second quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 278,426 shares of the company’s stock worth $16,216,000 after purchasing an additional 12,954 shares in the last quarter. 81.00% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on UVV shares. Zacks Research lowered shares of Universal from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, December 29th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Universal from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Universal Company Profile

Universal Corporation (NYSE: UVV) is a global agribusiness company primarily engaged in the procurement, processing and sale of leaf tobacco. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, the company sources cured leaf tobacco from key growing regions in North and South America, Africa and Asia. Universal serves major multinational tobacco manufacturers by providing a full range of services including inventory management, quality control and logistics support to ensure a consistent and reliable supply of tobacco leaf.

In addition to its core leaf tobacco operations, Universal offers integrated supply-chain services that encompass warehousing, distribution and ingredient sourcing for smokeless and novel tobacco products.