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

Universal Corporation (NYSE:UVV) crossed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $53.52 and traded as low as $52.08. Universal shares last traded at $52.81, with a volume of 260,738 shares.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Universal Trading Up 2.5%

The company’s 50 day moving average price is $53.32 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $53.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 3.49 and a quick ratio of 1.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.32 billion, a PE ratio of 40.94, a P/E/G ratio of 3.99 and a beta of 0.59.

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

Universal Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 13th will be given a $0.83 dividend. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.3%. This is a boost from Universal’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 13th. Universal’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 254.26%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Universal news, Director Robert C. Sledd sold 2,845 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.12, for a total transaction of $153,971.40. Following 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Universal

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UVV. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its position in Universal by 75.2% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 466 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 208 shares during the last quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd grew its stake 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 buying an additional 523 shares during the period. Ankerstar Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Universal in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Universal by 265.0% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 719 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 522 shares during the last quarter. 81.00% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.