Universal (NYSE:UVV) Stock Rating Upgraded by Zacks Research

Universal (NYSE:UVV) was upgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Separately, Weiss Ratings downgraded Universal from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Universal Price Performance

Universal stock opened at $52.74 on Monday. Universal has a 1 year low of $49.19 and a 1 year high of $59.38. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $52.79 and a 200 day moving average price of $53.33. The company has a market cap of $1.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.88, a PEG ratio of 4.03 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 1.66 and a current ratio of 3.49.

Universal (NYSE:UVV) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The company reported ($0.46) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.08 by ($1.54). The company had revenue of $715.24 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $728.20 million. Universal had a return on equity of 4.43% and a net margin of 1.12%. Sell-side analysts predict that Universal will post 4.3 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Robert C. Sledd sold 2,845 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.12, for a total transaction of $153,971.40. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 11,959 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $647,221.08. This represents a 19.22% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 2.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UVV. Vestcor Inc raised its stake in shares of Universal by 282.7% in the 4th quarter. Vestcor Inc now owns 33,264 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,755,000 after acquiring an additional 24,571 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in Universal by 35.5% during the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 353,655 shares of the company’s stock worth $18,638,000 after purchasing an additional 92,617 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its position in Universal by 130.7% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 24,016 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,267,000 after purchasing an additional 13,608 shares during the period. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new stake in Universal in the 1st quarter valued at $585,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Universal by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,983,924 shares of the company’s stock valued at $157,402,000 after purchasing an additional 35,513 shares in the last quarter. 81.00% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.