Sidoti Csr Issues Pessimistic Outlook for Universal Earnings

Universal Corporation (NYSE:UVV) – Equities researchers at Sidoti Csr cut their Q4 2026 EPS estimates for shares of Universal in a report released on Monday, November 10th. Sidoti Csr analyst D. Harriman now forecasts that the company will post earnings per share of $1.07 for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $1.12.

Universal (NYSE:UVV) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported $1.36 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.18 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $754.18 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $704.30 million. Universal had a return on equity of 8.46% and a net margin of 3.51%.

A number of other analysts also recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings downgraded Universal from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday, October 24th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Universal from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 22nd. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Universal from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Universal presently has an average rating of “Buy”.

Universal Trading Up 0.0%

NYSE UVV traded up $0.02 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $53.26. 44,841 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 215,538. The business’s 50 day moving average is $54.00 and its 200-day moving average is $56.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a current ratio of 2.49. Universal has a 12-month low of $49.40 and a 12-month high of $67.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.74 and a beta of 0.73.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Barclays PLC grew its position in Universal by 917.9% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 578,564 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,324,000 after purchasing an additional 521,724 shares in the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd boosted its position in Universal by 180.5% during the 2nd 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. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its position in Universal by 1,218.7% during the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 123,602 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,199,000 after acquiring an additional 114,229 shares during the period. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Universal during the 2nd quarter valued at about $6,196,000. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Universal in the second quarter worth approximately $6,131,000. 81.00% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Robert C. Sledd sold 4,617 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.25, for a total value of $245,855.25. Following the sale, the director owned 15,698 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $835,918.50. The trade was a 22.73% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, COO Airton L. Hentschke sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.94, for a total transaction of $549,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 135,129 shares in the company, valued at $7,423,987.26. The trade was a 6.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 1.90% of the company’s stock.

Universal Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, January 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.82 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, January 12th. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.2%. Universal’s dividend payout ratio is 73.87%.

About Universal

Universal Corporation processes and supplies leaf tobacco and plant-based ingredients worldwide. The company operates through two segments, Tobacco Operations; and Ingredients Operations. It is involved in the procuring, financing, processing, packing, storing, and shipping leaf tobacco for sale to manufacturers of consumer tobacco products.