Universal (NYSE:UVV) Shares Cross Below 200 Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Universal Corporation (NYSE:UVVGet Free Report) shares passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $53.63 and traded as low as $52.50. Universal shares last traded at $53.1350, with a volume of 146,835 shares trading hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UVV has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Universal from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Universal from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, March 23rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Universal from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Reduce”.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on UVV

Universal Price Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average of $53.79 and a 200 day moving average of $53.63. 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 firm has a market cap of $1.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.67, a P/E/G ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 0.66.

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

Universal Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 4th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 15th will be paid a $0.82 dividend. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 15th. Universal’s payout ratio is currently 96.76%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Federated Hermes Inc. bought a new position in shares of Universal in the third quarter valued at approximately $1,351,000. DAVENPORT & Co LLC grew its position in Universal by 29.9% during the 3rd quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC now owns 138,568 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,742,000 after acquiring an additional 31,897 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its holdings in Universal by 1,218.7% during the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 123,602 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,199,000 after purchasing an additional 114,229 shares in the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC increased its holdings in Universal by 738.3% during the 2nd quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 50,608 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,947,000 after purchasing an additional 44,571 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC raised its position in Universal by 306.2% in the 3rd quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 84,568 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,725,000 after purchasing an additional 63,749 shares during the last quarter. 81.00% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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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