Universal (NYSE:UVV) Stock Rating Lowered by Zacks Research

Universal (NYSE:UVV) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note issued on Tuesday, Zacks reports.

UVV has been the topic of a number of other reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Universal from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 15th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Universal from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Reduce”.

Universal Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of NYSE UVV opened at $46.30 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 60.13, a P/E/G ratio of 14.51 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 2.57 and a quick ratio of 1.00. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $49.98 and a 200-day simple moving average of $52.01. Universal has a 1 year low of $43.36 and a 1 year high of $59.38.

Universal (NYSE:UVV) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported ($0.18) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.25 by ($0.43). The business had revenue of $523.78 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $587.00 million. Universal had a return on equity of 3.50% and a net margin of 0.67%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Universal will post 3.18 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Universal

In related news, Director Lennart R. Freeman sold 1,782 shares of Universal stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.82, for a total value of $88,779.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 16,935 shares in the company, valued at approximately $843,701.70. The trade was a 9.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 2.20% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd increased its position in shares of Universal by 180.5% during the second quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 438,134 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,517,000 after acquiring an additional 281,920 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC boosted its holdings in Universal by 1,575.1% in the third 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 period. UBS Group AG grew its stake in Universal by 98.5% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 312,787 shares of the company’s stock worth $16,500,000 after purchasing an additional 155,244 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in 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 acquired a new stake in Universal in the 2nd quarter valued at about $6,131,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.00% of the company’s stock.

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.