Universal (NYSE:UVV) Stock Passes Below 200-Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?
by Kim Johansen · The Markets DailyUniversal Corporation (NYSE:UVV – Get Free Report)’s stock price passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $53.35 and traded as low as $52.94. Universal shares last traded at $53.2550, with a volume of 175,354 shares.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings lowered Universal from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Universal from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Reduce”.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on UVV
Universal Price Performance
The company has a market capitalization of $1.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.13 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $52.96 and a 200 day moving average price of $53.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 3.49 and a quick ratio of 1.66.
Universal (NYSE:UVV – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The company reported ($0.46) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08 by ($1.54). Universal had a return on equity of 4.43% and a net margin of 1.12%.The company had revenue of $715.24 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $728.20 million. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Universal Corporation will post 4.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Universal Increases Dividend
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 13th will be given a $0.83 dividend. This is a boost from Universal’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 13th. Universal’s dividend payout ratio is 257.36%.
Insider Transactions at Universal
In other news, Director Robert C. Sledd sold 2,845 shares of the business’s 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 transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 2.20% of the company’s stock.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd increased its position in Universal by 180.5% in the 2nd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 438,134 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,517,000 after acquiring an additional 281,920 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC boosted its position in Universal by 1,575.1% during the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 279,058 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,591,000 after acquiring an additional 262,399 shares during the period. UBS Group AG boosted its position in Universal by 98.5% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 312,787 shares of the company’s stock worth $16,500,000 after acquiring an additional 155,244 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. grew 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 worth $45,579,000 after purchasing an additional 142,439 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC acquired a new position in shares of Universal during the second quarter valued at $6,131,000. 81.00% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Universal Company Profile
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.