Sidoti Brokers Reduce Earnings Estimates for Universal

Universal Corporation (NYSE:UVV) – Stock analysts at Sidoti decreased their Q4 2027 earnings per share estimates for shares of Universal in a research note issued to investors on Monday, August 10th. Sidoti analyst D. Harriman now expects that the company will post earnings per share of $1.05 for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $1.07. The consensus estimate for Universal’s current full-year earnings is $4.30 per share. Sidoti also issued estimates for Universal’s Q3 2028 earnings at $1.87 EPS, Q4 2028 earnings at $1.16 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $3.95 EPS.

A number of other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Universal from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Zacks Research raised shares of Universal from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Universal presently has an average rating of “Hold”.

Universal Stock Down 7.2%

UVV opened at $47.17 on Tuesday. Universal has a 1 year low of $46.96 and a 1 year high of $59.38. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $52.56 and a 200 day moving average price of $53.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 2.57. The company has a market cap of $1.17 billion, a PE ratio of 61.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.94 and a beta of 0.60.

Universal (NYSE:UVV) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported ($0.18) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.25 by ($0.43). Universal had a net margin of 0.67% and a return on equity of 3.50%. The firm had revenue of $523.78 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $587.00 million.

Institutional Trading of Universal

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Universal by 75.2% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 466 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its holdings in 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 in the last quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd increased its position in shares of Universal by 1,634.4% in the 4th quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 555 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 523 shares during the last quarter. Ankerstar Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Universal in the 4th quarter valued at about $37,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Universal by 265.0% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 719 shares of the company’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 522 shares in the last quarter. 81.00% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

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 transaction, the director directly owned 11,959 shares in the company, valued at approximately $647,221.08. This represents a 19.22% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 2.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Universal Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced 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. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 9th. Universal’s dividend payout ratio is presently 431.17%.

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.