Key Points
- Director Lennart Freeman sold 1,782 Universal shares at an average price of $49.82, generating approximately $88,779 and reducing his ownership by 9.52%.
- Universal reported a quarterly loss of $0.18 per share versus analysts’ expected $0.25 profit, while revenue of $523.78 million missed the $587 million estimate.
- The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.83, equivalent to $3.32 annually and a 7.2% yield; analysts maintain an overall Hold rating on the stock.
Universal Corporation (NYSE:UVV - Get Free Report) Director Lennart Freeman sold 1,782 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.82, for a total value of $88,779.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 16,935 shares in the company, valued at approximately $843,701.70. This trade represents a 9.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.
Universal Stock Performance
NYSE UVV opened at $46.34 on Wednesday. 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 Corporation has a 1-year low of $46.19 and a 1-year high of $59.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 60.18, a P/E/G ratio of 3.67 and a beta of 0.60. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $52.41 and its 200-day simple moving average is $53.14.
Universal (NYSE:UVV - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported ($0.18) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.25 by ($0.43). Universal had a return on equity of 3.50% and a net margin of 0.67%.The business had revenue of $523.78 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $587.00 million. Equities analysts predict that Universal Corporation will post 4.3 EPS for the current year.
Universal Announces Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, October 12th will be given a $0.83 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 9th. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.2%. Universal's dividend payout ratio is presently 431.17%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several research firms recently weighed in on UVV. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Universal from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Weiss Ratings downgraded Universal from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Universal currently has an average rating of "Hold".
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Universal
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal
Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Baird Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in Universal by 5.1% during the 2nd quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 4,152 shares of the company's stock valued at $242,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Universal by 75.2% in the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 466 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Rexford Capital Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Universal by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Rexford Capital Inc. now owns 8,671 shares of the company's stock valued at $457,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Universal by 67.1% in the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 518 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 208 shares during the period. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its position in Universal by 7.9% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 3,114 shares of the company's stock valued at $164,000 after purchasing an additional 227 shares during the last quarter. 81.00% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Universal News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Universal this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Sidoti raised its estimates for Universal’s third-quarter and fourth-quarter fiscal 2028 earnings to $1.87 and $1.16 per share, respectively, from $1.77 and $1.12. These increases suggest some improvement in the analyst’s outlook for those periods.
- Neutral Sentiment: Sidoti lowered its fourth-quarter fiscal 2027 EPS forecast modestly to $1.05 from $1.07, while maintaining estimates of $3.95 EPS for fiscal 2028 and $4.30 for the current full year.
- Negative Sentiment: Sidoti cut its fiscal 2028 EPS forecast sharply to $3.95 from $4.38. The reduction indicates weaker expected profitability over the full year and is likely weighing more heavily than the higher quarterly estimates.
- Negative Sentiment: Universal’s fiscal first-quarter results were well below expectations: the company reported a $0.18-per-share loss versus the consensus estimate of $0.25 in earnings, while revenue of $523.8 million fell short of the $587.0 million forecast. The earnings miss has undermined investor confidence in near-term operating performance. Universal Corp Stock Is Falling Today: What’s Behind the Drop
- Negative Sentiment: Director Lennart R. Freeman sold 1,782 shares for approximately $88,800, reducing his direct ownership by 9.5%. Although insider sales can be routine, the transaction adds a modest negative signal after the disappointing earnings report. SEC Form 4 Insider Transaction
About Universal
(
Get Free Report)
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.
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