Sei Investments Co. Increases Stock Position in Universal Corporation $UVV

Sei Investments Co. raised its stake in shares of Universal Corporation (NYSE:UVV) by 77.3% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 28,189 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 12,288 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co.’s holdings in Universal were worth $1,486,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of UVV. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Universal by 180.5% in the 2nd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 438,134 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,517,000 after buying an additional 281,920 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC grew its position in Universal by 1,575.1% in the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 279,058 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,591,000 after acquiring an additional 262,399 shares in the last quarter. UBS Group AG increased its stake in Universal by 98.5% in the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 312,787 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,500,000 after acquiring an additional 155,244 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its position in Universal by 21.2% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 815,801 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,579,000 after purchasing an additional 142,439 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in Universal during the second quarter valued at about $6,131,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.00% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on UVV. Zacks Research upgraded Universal from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Weiss Ratings cut Universal from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Insider Buying and Selling at Universal

In other news, Director Robert C. Sledd sold 2,845 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 2.20% of the company’s stock.

Universal Stock Down 7.2%

Shares of NYSE:UVV opened at $47.17 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 61.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.94 and a beta of 0.60. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $52.56 and its 200-day moving average price is $53.20. The company has a current ratio of 2.57, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. Universal Corporation has a 12-month low of $46.96 and a 12-month high of $59.38.

Universal (NYSE:UVV) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported ($0.18) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.25 by ($0.43). The company had revenue of $523.78 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $587.00 million. Universal had a net margin of 0.67% and a return on equity of 3.50%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Universal Corporation will post 4.3 earnings per share for the current year.

Universal Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, October 12th will be given a $0.83 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 9th. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.0%. Universal’s payout ratio is presently 431.17%.

Universal 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.