Universal (NYSE:UVV) Share Price Crosses Below 200-Day Moving Average – Here’s What Happened

Universal Corporation (NYSE:UVV)’s stock price passed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $53.52 and traded as low as $52.08. Universal shares last traded at $52.81, with a volume of 260,738 shares trading hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UVV has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Universal from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Zacks Research lowered shares of Universal from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Reduce”.

Universal Stock Up 0.6%

The company has a market capitalization of $1.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.19, a P/E/G ratio of 4.08 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a quick ratio of 1.66, a current ratio of 3.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $53.31 and a 200-day simple moving average of $53.53.

Universal (NYSE:UVV) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The company reported ($0.46) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.08 by ($1.54). Universal had a net margin of 1.12% and a return on equity of 4.43%. The business had revenue of $715.24 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $728.20 million. On average, equities research analysts expect that Universal Corporation will post 4.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Universal Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.83 per share. This is an increase from Universal’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 13th. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.2%. Universal’s dividend payout ratio is 254.26%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Robert C. Sledd sold 2,845 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.12, for a total value of $153,971.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 11,959 shares in the company, valued at $647,221.08. This represents a 19.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in UVV. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its position in Universal by 75.2% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 466 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its holdings in Universal by 67.1% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 518 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares in the last quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd increased its holdings in Universal by 1,634.4% during the 4th quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 555 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 523 shares in the last quarter. Ankerstar Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Universal in the 4th quarter valued at about $37,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Universal by 265.0% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 719 shares of the company’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 522 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.00% of the company’s stock.

About Universal

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.