Universal (NYSE:UVV) Sets New 52-Week Low – Here’s Why

Shares of Universal Corporation (NYSE:UVV) hit a new 52-week low during trading on Wednesday. The company traded as low as $41.10 and last traded at $40.9610, with a volume of 85,506 shares. The stock had previously closed at $41.52.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings downgraded Universal from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Universal from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, September 5th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Universal from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, October 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Reduce”.

Universal Trading Down 2.3%

The stock has a market cap of $1.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.82, a P/E/G ratio of 13.18 and a beta of 0.58. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $44.71 and its 200 day simple moving average is $50.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 2.57 and a quick ratio of 1.00.

Universal (NYSE:UVV) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 business had revenue of $523.78 million for 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, research analysts predict that Universal Corporation will post 3.18 EPS for the current year.

Universal Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, October 12th will be paid a $0.83 dividend. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 8.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 9th. Universal’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 431.17%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Universal

In related news, Director Lennart Freeman sold 1,782 shares of Universal stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.82, for a total value of $88,779.24. Following the sale, the director directly owned 16,935 shares in the company, valued at $843,701.70. This trade represents a 9.52% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 2.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Virginia Estate & Retirement Planning Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Universal by 507.5% in the 3rd quarter. Virginia Estate & Retirement Planning Advisors Inc. now owns 1,215 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,000 after buying an additional 1,015 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in Universal by 84.2% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 7,333 shares of the company’s stock valued at $306,000 after acquiring an additional 3,353 shares in the last quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC raised its stake in Universal by 8.7% during the 3rd quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 25,705 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,074,000 after acquiring an additional 2,064 shares in the last quarter. Adams Asset Advisors LLC raised its stake in Universal by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Adams Asset Advisors LLC now owns 134,972 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,640,000 after acquiring an additional 1,080 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Byrne Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Universal during the 3rd quarter worth $126,000. 81.00% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Universal

Universal Corporation (NYSE: UVV) is a global leaf tobacco supplier and processor. Through its operating companies, the company purchases tobacco from growers, processes and blends leaf, and supplies tobacco products and related materials to manufacturers of cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco and other tobacco products. Its services include crop contracting, agricultural support, curing, processing, storage, packaging and logistics.

Founded in 1918 and headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, Universal has developed an international network of tobacco sourcing, processing and distribution operations.