Universal (NYSE:UVV) Stock Price Crosses Above 200-Day Moving Average – What’s Next?

28 Feb 2026, 10:00 by Kim Johansen · The Markets Daily

Universal Corporation (NYSE:UVV – Get Free Report)’s share price passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $54.02 and traded as high as $54.52. Universal shares last traded at $53.7110, with a volume of 227,057 shares traded.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UVV has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Universal from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 14th. Weiss Ratings cut Universal from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Universal from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Universal presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce”.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Universal

Universal Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a current ratio of 2.91. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $54.26 and its 200 day simple moving average is $54.02. The stock has a market cap of $1.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.66.

Universal (NYSE:UVV – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The company reported $1.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.92 by ($0.57). Universal had a return on equity of 6.49% and a net margin of 2.93%.The business had revenue of $861.29 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $927.20 million.

Universal Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 4th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 15th will be given a $0.82 dividend. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 15th. Universal’s dividend payout ratio is presently 96.76%.

Institutional Trading of Universal

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in UVV. Royal Bank of Canada increased its stake in shares of Universal by 18.8% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 24,009 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,345,000 after buying an additional 3,795 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Universal by 8.7% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 24,791 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,390,000 after acquiring an additional 1,976 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its position in shares of Universal by 24.5% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 36,958 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,071,000 after purchasing an additional 7,261 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Universal in the 1st quarter worth about $3,927,000. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Universal by 20.7% in the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 24,070 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,349,000 after purchasing an additional 4,124 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.00% of the company’s stock.

Universal Company Profile

(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.