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

Universal Corporation (NYSE:UVV)’s share price reached a new 52-week low during trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $44.30 and last traded at $44.0550, with a volume of 36142 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $44.77.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UVV has been the subject of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings downgraded Universal from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Zacks Research upgraded Universal from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Universal from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Universal Trading Down 2.2%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 2.57 and a quick ratio of 1.00. The company has a market cap of $1.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 56.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 14.08 and a beta of 0.60. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $51.91 and a 200 day simple moving average of $52.93.

Universal (NYSE:UVV) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported ($0.18) 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 company had revenue of $523.78 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $587.00 million. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Universal Corporation will post 3.18 EPS for the current year.

Universal Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 9th. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.6%. Universal’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 431.17%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Universal news, Director Robert C. Sledd sold 2,845 shares of Universal stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.12, for a total transaction of $153,971.40. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 11,959 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $647,221.08. The trade was a 19.22% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Lennart R. Freeman sold 1,782 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.82, for a total transaction of $88,779.24. Following the sale, the director owned 16,935 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $843,701.70. The trade was a 9.52% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 2.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Universal by 180.5% during the second quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 438,134 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,517,000 after purchasing an additional 281,920 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC raised its position in shares of Universal by 1,575.1% in the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 279,058 shares of the company’s stock valued at $15,591,000 after buying an additional 262,399 shares in the last quarter. UBS Group AG boosted its stake in shares of Universal by 98.5% in the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 312,787 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,500,000 after buying an additional 155,244 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Universal by 21.2% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 815,801 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,579,000 after buying an additional 142,439 shares during the period. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in Universal during the second quarter worth approximately $6,131,000. 81.00% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.