Universal (NYSE:UVV) Shares Cross Above 200-Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Universal Corporation (NYSE:UVV) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $54.07 and traded as high as $54.86. Universal shares last traded at $54.65, with a volume of 114,983 shares changing hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on UVV shares. Zacks Research downgraded 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 report on Monday, December 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, Universal has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Universal Price Performance

The company has a 50 day moving average of $53.45 and a 200-day moving average of $54.04. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $1.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.31, a PEG ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.67.

Universal (NYSE:UVV) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.18 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $754.18 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $704.30 million. Universal had a return on equity of 8.24% and a net margin of 3.74%.

Universal Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, January 12th will be given a dividend of $0.82 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, January 12th. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.0%. Universal’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 73.87%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of UVV. Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in Universal by 18.8% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 24,009 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,345,000 after purchasing an additional 3,795 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Universal by 8.7% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 24,791 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,390,000 after buying an additional 1,976 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its position in Universal by 24.5% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 36,958 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,071,000 after buying an additional 7,261 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC purchased a new stake in Universal in the 1st quarter worth about $3,927,000. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its position in Universal by 20.7% during the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 24,070 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,349,000 after acquiring an additional 4,124 shares during the period. 81.00% of the stock is currently 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.