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

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Universal (NYSE:UVV) to a hold rating in a research note published on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

Separately, Wall Street Zen cut Universal from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 31st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold”.

Universal Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of NYSE:UVV opened at $55.7450 on Wednesday. Universal has a 52-week low of $49.40 and a 52-week high of $67.33. The stock has a market cap of $1.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.22 and a beta of 0.74. The business’s 50 day moving average is $56.16 and its 200 day moving average is $55.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 2.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41.

Universal (NYSE:UVV) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 6th. The company reported $0.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Universal had a return on equity of 8.46% and a net margin of 3.51%.The company had revenue of $593.76 million for the quarter.

Universal Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, October 13th will be given a $0.82 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 10th. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.9%. Universal’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 79.81%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Lennart R. Freeman sold 2,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.89, for a total value of $148,092.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 19,669 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,040,293.41. This trade represents a 12.46% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Robert C. Sledd sold 4,617 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.25, for a total value of $245,855.25. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 15,698 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $835,918.50. The trade was a 22.73% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in Universal by 38.6% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,149 shares of the company’s stock worth $64,000 after acquiring an additional 320 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Universal by 8.6% in the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 15,155 shares of the company’s stock worth $849,000 after acquiring an additional 1,196 shares during the last quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC purchased a new position in Universal in the 1st quarter worth $281,000. Cary Street Partners Financial LLC purchased a new position in Universal in the 1st quarter worth $624,000. Finally, 3Chopt Investment Partners LLC purchased a new position in Universal in the 1st quarter worth $437,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.00% of the company’s stock.

Universal Company Profile

Universal Corporation processes and supplies leaf tobacco and plant-based ingredients worldwide. The company operates through two segments, Tobacco Operations; and Ingredients Operations. It is involved in the procuring, financing, processing, packing, storing, and shipping leaf tobacco for sale to manufacturers of consumer tobacco products.