Zacks Research cut shares of Universal (NYSE:UVV – Free Report) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a report issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.
Several other research analysts have also weighed in on UVV. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Universal from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Universal from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce”.
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Universal Stock Down 0.3%
Universal (NYSE:UVV – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The company reported ($0.46) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.08 by ($1.54). The firm had revenue of $715.24 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $728.20 million. Universal had a net margin of 1.12% and a return on equity of 4.43%. As a group, research analysts expect that Universal will post 4.3 earnings per share for the current year.
Universal Increases Dividend
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.83 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 13th. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.3%. This is an increase from Universal’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. Universal’s payout ratio is 254.26%.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of UVV. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in Universal by 16.9% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,357 shares of the company’s stock valued at $72,000 after purchasing an additional 196 shares during the last quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Universal by 5.1% in the second quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 4,152 shares of the company’s stock worth $242,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Universal by 75.2% in the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 466 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Rexford Capital Inc. raised its stake in shares of Universal by 2.4% in the fourth quarter. Rexford Capital Inc. now owns 8,671 shares of the company’s stock worth $457,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Universal by 67.1% in the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 518 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 208 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.00% of the company’s stock.
Key Headlines Impacting Universal
Here are the key news stories impacting Universal this week:
- Neutral Sentiment: Universal Corporation will hold a virtual 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders on June 18. This is a routine corporate update with limited immediate impact on the stock. Universal Display Corporation to Hold Virtual 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders
- Negative Sentiment: Sidoti lowered Universal’s FY2027 EPS estimate to $4.30 from $4.40, signaling less optimistic profit expectations for the tobacco company. Universal Corporation analyst estimate updates
- Negative Sentiment: The firm also cut FY2028 EPS to $4.38 from $4.61 and trimmed several quarterly forecasts, including Q1 2027, Q2 2027, Q4 2027, and Q2 2028, reinforcing concerns about near-term earnings momentum. Universal Corporation analyst estimate updates
- Negative Sentiment: Seeking Alpha published a downgrade to Hold, citing persistent tobacco oversupply, margin compression, and questions about dividend safety due to tight free cash flow coverage. Universal Corp: The Three Reasons Why I Am Downgrading To 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.
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