Universal (NYSE:UVV) Director Sells $88,779.24 in Stock

Universal Corporation (NYSE:UVV) Director Lennart 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 transaction of $88,779.24. Following the sale, the director owned 16,935 shares of the company’s stock, 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

Universal Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UVV opened at $44.89 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $52.09 and its 200-day moving average price is $53.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 58.30, a PEG ratio of 14.22 and a beta of 0.60. Universal Corporation has a one year low of $44.47 and a one year high of $59.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 2.57 and a quick ratio of 1.00.

Universal (NYSE:UVV) last posted 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). Universal had a net margin of 0.67% and a return on equity of 3.50%. The company had revenue of $523.78 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $587.00 million. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Universal Corporation will post 3.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Universal Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, October 12th will be given a dividend of $0.83 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 9th. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.4%. Universal’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 431.17%.

Trending Headlines about Universal

Here are the key news stories impacting Universal this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Universal declared a quarterly dividend of $0.83 per share, equivalent to $3.32 annually. The approximately 7% yield may continue to attract income-oriented investors, although the reported payout ratio is very high and could raise sustainability concerns.
• Neutral Sentiment: Proposed federal legislation would fund expanded research, prevention and cessation efforts targeting youth vaping and emerging tobacco products. The bill is focused primarily on vaping rather than tobacco-leaf suppliers, so any effect on Universal’s demand would likely be indirect and limited. Youth E-Cigarette and Tobacco Addiction Act
• Negative Sentiment: Sidoti sharply reduced its Universal EPS forecast for fiscal 2027 to $3.18 from $4.30. It also cut estimates for the second quarter of fiscal 2027 to $0.58 from $1.22, and lowered its first-quarter fiscal 2028 forecast to a $0.02 loss from $0.27 of earnings. The revisions point to weaker near-term profitability and are likely weighing on the stock. Sidoti Estimate for Universal Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Universal’s latest quarterly results missed expectations: it reported a $0.18-per-share loss versus the projected $0.25 profit, while revenue of $523.8 million fell short of the $587.0 million estimate. The earnings and revenue miss undermines confidence in the company’s operating recovery.
• Negative Sentiment: Director Lennart Freeman sold 1,782 shares worth approximately $88,800, reducing his direct stake by 9.5%. The sale may be routine, but it represents an additional modestly negative signal following the earnings disappointment. Universal Director Stock Sale

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vestcor Inc raised its holdings in Universal by 282.7% in the 4th quarter. Vestcor Inc now owns 33,264 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,755,000 after purchasing an additional 24,571 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC bought a new stake in shares of Universal during the 1st quarter valued at about $4,220,000. First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Universal by 35.5% during the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 353,655 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,638,000 after buying an additional 92,617 shares during the period. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System purchased a new position in shares of Universal during the first quarter valued at about $585,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Universal by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,983,924 shares of the company’s stock worth $157,402,000 after buying an additional 35,513 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.00% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on UVV. Zacks Research upgraded Universal from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Weiss Ratings downgraded Universal from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

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.