Universal (NYSE:UVV) Share Price Crosses Below 200 Day Moving Average – What’s Next?

Universal Corporation (NYSE:UVV) passed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a two hundred 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 trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on UVV shares. Weiss Ratings lowered Universal from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Zacks Research lowered Universal from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Universal currently has an average rating of “Reduce”.

Universal Stock Performance

The company’s 50 day moving average price is $52.98 and its 200-day moving average price is $53.35. The stock has a market cap of $1.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.12 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 1.66 and a current ratio of 3.49.

Universal (NYSE:UVV) last released 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 net margin of 1.12% and a return on equity of 4.43%. The firm had revenue of $715.24 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $728.20 million. Equities analysts forecast that Universal Corporation will post 4.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Universal Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 13th will be paid a $0.83 dividend. This is a positive change from Universal’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 13th. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.2%. Universal’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 257.36%.

Insider Activity at Universal

In other news, Director Robert C. Sledd sold 2,845 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.12, for a total value of $153,971.40. Following the transaction, the director owned 11,959 shares in the company, valued at $647,221.08. The trade was a 19.22% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 2.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Universal

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd boosted its position in Universal by 180.5% in 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 last quarter. Millennium Management LLC increased its position in shares of Universal by 1,575.1% during the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 279,058 shares of the company’s stock valued at $15,591,000 after purchasing an additional 262,399 shares during the last quarter. UBS Group AG increased its position in shares of Universal by 98.5% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 312,787 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,500,000 after purchasing an additional 155,244 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Universal by 21.2% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 815,801 shares of the company’s stock worth $45,579,000 after purchasing an additional 142,439 shares during the period. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC bought a new stake in shares of Universal during the 2nd quarter worth $6,131,000. 81.00% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.