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

Universal (NYSE:UVV) was downgraded by research analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities research analysts also recently commented on UVV. Weiss Ratings downgraded Universal from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Universal from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce”.

Universal Price Performance

NYSE:UVV opened at $53.44 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 2.91. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $54.31 and its 200 day simple moving average is $54.03. The company has a market cap of $1.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 0.66. Universal has a 52-week low of $49.96 and a 52-week high of $67.33.

Universal (NYSE:UVV) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The company reported $1.35 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.92 by ($0.57). The company had revenue of $861.29 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $927.20 million. Universal had a net margin of 2.93% and a return on equity of 6.49%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its stake in shares of Universal by 18.8% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 24,009 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,345,000 after buying an additional 3,795 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Universal by 8.7% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 24,791 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,390,000 after acquiring an additional 1,976 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its position in Universal by 24.5% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 36,958 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,071,000 after acquiring an additional 7,261 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Universal during the first quarter worth approximately $3,927,000. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of Universal by 20.7% in the first quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 24,070 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,349,000 after purchasing an additional 4,124 shares during the last quarter. 81.00% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Universal

Here are the key news stories impacting Universal this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Sidoti raised its Q1 2027 EPS view to $0.34 (from $0.30) — a modest near-term improvement in Street expectations that could support the next quarterly print.
• Positive Sentiment: Sidoti nudged its Q4 2026 estimate to $1.08 (from $1.07), a slight upgrade to the near-term outlook.
• Neutral Sentiment: EU antitrust clearance of Universal Music Group’s takeover of Downtown was announced — this concerns Universal Music Group (UMG), not Universal Corporation (UVV), and is not directly material to UVV’s business. EU clears Universal Music takeover of Downtown
• Neutral Sentiment: News about a debt settlement at Universal Digital Inc. (ticker LFG/LFGMF) is unrelated to UVV and should not affect UVV’s fundamentals. Universal Digital Inc. Announces Debt Settlement
• Negative Sentiment: Q3 results missed expectations materially: EPS $1.35 vs. $1.92 consensus and revenue $861.3M vs. $927.2M. Management affirmed the dividend despite the miss — investors likely interpreted the combination as signaling near-term earnings weakness, triggering the sharp share decline. Universal (UVV) Is Down 10.1% After Weaker Q3 Results and Affirmed Dividend – What’s Changed
• Negative Sentiment: Sidoti’s revisions include cuts to FY2027 (from $4.61 to $4.40) and lower Q2–Q3–Q4 2027 quarter forecasts versus prior views — these downward revisions reduce forward earnings expectations and add pressure to the stock until management provides clearer recovery signals.

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.