Universal (NYSE:UVV) Releases Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.43 EPS

Universal (NYSE:UVVGet Free Report) released its earnings results on Wednesday. The company reported ($0.18) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.25 by ($0.43), Zacks reports. The business had revenue of $523.78 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $587.00 million. Universal had a net margin of 0.67% and a return on equity of 3.46%.

Universal Stock Performance

Shares of UVV stock traded down $0.88 during trading on Friday, reaching $50.27. 157,118 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 224,901. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $52.72 and its 200 day moving average is $53.28. The company has a market capitalization of $1.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 65.32, a PEG ratio of 4.04 and a beta of 0.60. Universal has a 1 year low of $49.19 and a 1 year high of $59.38. The company has a current ratio of 3.49, a quick ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

Universal Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, October 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.83 per share. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 9th. Universal’s dividend payout ratio is presently 431.17%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Robert C. Sledd sold 2,845 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.12, for a total transaction of $153,971.40. Following the sale, the director owned 11,959 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $647,221.08. This represents a 19.22% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 2.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in UVV. Prelude Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Universal in the 3rd quarter worth $254,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Universal in the third quarter valued at $203,000. State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in Universal during the second quarter valued at about $224,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its stake in Universal by 109.6% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,308 shares of the company’s stock worth $134,000 after purchasing an additional 1,207 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Howland Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Universal in the 2nd quarter worth about $207,000. Institutional investors own 81.00% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UVV has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Zacks Research raised Universal from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Universal from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, Universal has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Check Out Our Latest Report on Universal

About Universal

(Get Free Report)

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.

See Also

Earnings History for Universal (NYSE:UVV)

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