Universal (NYSE:UVV) Share Price Crosses Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Universal Corporation (NYSE:UVV)’s share price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $53.53 and traded as high as $53.92. Universal shares last traded at $53.3040, with a volume of 267,922 shares.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Universal from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Universal from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Reduce”.

Universal Stock Down 1.2%

The firm has a market cap of $1.33 billion, a PE ratio of 41.32, a P/E/G ratio of 4.18 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. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $53.38 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $53.53.

Universal (NYSE:UVV) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The company reported ($0.46) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.08 by ($1.54). The company had revenue of $715.24 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $728.20 million. Universal had a return on equity of 4.43% and a net margin of 1.12%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Universal Corporation will post 4.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Universal Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 13th will be issued a $0.83 dividend. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 13th. This is a positive change from Universal’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. Universal’s dividend payout ratio is presently 254.26%.

Insider Activity at Universal

In other 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 value of $153,971.40. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 11,959 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $647,221.08. The trade was a 19.22% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 1.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of UVV. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Universal by 75.2% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 466 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Universal by 67.1% in the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 518 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 208 shares during the period. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Universal by 1,634.4% in the 4th quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 555 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 523 shares during the period. Ankerstar Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Universal in the 4th quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Universal by 265.0% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 719 shares of the company’s stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 522 shares during the period. 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.