Universal (NYSE:UVV) Upgraded to Hold at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Universal (NYSE:UVV) from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

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

Universal Trading Up 1.4%

NYSE:UVV opened at $52.74 on Monday. Universal has a 52-week low of $49.19 and a 52-week high of $59.38. 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 stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $52.79 and a 200-day simple moving average of $53.33. The company has a market capitalization of $1.31 billion, a PE ratio of 40.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.03 and a beta of 0.60.

Universal (NYSE:UVV) last posted its earnings results 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 analysts’ expectations of $728.20 million. On average, equities research analysts expect that Universal will post 4.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Universal Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, July 13th were given a dividend of $0.83 per share. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.3%. This is an increase from Universal’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 13th. Universal’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 257.36%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Universal news, Director Robert C. Sledd sold 2,845 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.12, for a total value of $153,971.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 11,959 shares in the company, valued at approximately $647,221.08. The trade was a 19.22% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 2.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in UVV. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Universal by 75.2% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 466 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Universal by 5.1% during the 2nd quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 4,152 shares of the company’s stock valued at $242,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Rexford Capital Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Universal by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Rexford Capital Inc. now owns 8,671 shares of the company’s stock worth $457,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Universal by 67.1% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 518 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 208 shares during the period. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Universal by 7.9% during the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 3,114 shares of the company’s stock worth $164,000 after acquiring an additional 227 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other 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.