Zacks Research Upgrades Universal (NYSE:UVV) to “Hold”

Universal (NYSE:UVV) was upgraded by equities researchers at Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Separately, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Universal from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold”.

Universal Stock Up 1.4%

Universal stock opened at $52.74 on Monday. Universal has a one year low of $49.19 and a one year high of $59.38. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $52.79 and a 200 day moving average of $53.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 1.66 and a current ratio of 3.49. The stock has a market cap of $1.31 billion, a PE ratio of 40.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.03 and a beta of 0.60.

Universal (NYSE:UVV) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The company reported ($0.46) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.08 by ($1.54). Universal had a return on equity of 4.43% and a net margin of 1.12%.The firm had revenue of $715.24 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $728.20 million. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Universal will post 4.3 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Universal news, Director Robert C. Sledd sold 2,845 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.12, for a total value of $153,971.40. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 11,959 shares in the company, valued at approximately $647,221.08. This represents a 19.22% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 2.20% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in UVV. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Universal by 75.2% in the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 466 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its stake in Universal by 67.1% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 518 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares during the period. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd raised its stake in Universal by 1,634.4% during the 4th quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 555 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 523 shares during the period. Ankerstar Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Universal in the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Universal by 265.0% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 719 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 522 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.00% of the company’s stock.

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.