Universal (NYSE:UVV) Shares Pass Above 200-Day Moving Average – Here’s What Happened

Posted by George Bondi on Jul 30th, 2026

Universal Corporation (NYSE:UVV – Get Free Report)’s share price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $53.38 and traded as high as $55.92. Universal shares last traded at $54.7870, with a volume of 234,754 shares changing hands.

Universal News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Universal this week:

Positive Sentiment: Universal Corporation’s shares were recently reported to have moved above their 200-day moving average, a potentially constructive technical signal for investors monitoring the stock’s longer-term trend. Universal Stock Price Crosses Above 200-Day Moving Average
Neutral Sentiment: There were no new operating, earnings, dividend or tobacco-market announcements directly involving Universal Corporation in the provided articles. News about Tiptree’s planned acquisition of Universal Shield Insurance Group does not involve UVV. AM Best Comments on Universal Shield Ratings
Negative Sentiment: The main fundamental overhang remains Universal Corporation’s latest reported quarterly results, which showed a substantial earnings miss and revenue below expectations. The company posted a quarterly loss per share versus analysts’ expected profit, while revenue also fell short of forecasts. With analysts expecting approximately $4.30 in full-year EPS, the results may be keeping investors cautious until the company demonstrates improved profitability.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UVV has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Zacks Research downgraded Universal from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Universal from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Universal has an average rating of “Reduce”.

Get Our Latest Research Report on Universal

Universal Stock Performance

The firm has a 50 day moving average of $52.92 and a 200-day moving average of $53.38. The company has a market cap of $1.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.37, a PEG ratio of 4.24 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a quick ratio of 1.66, a current ratio of 3.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

Universal (NYSE:UVV – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The company reported ($0.46) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08 by ($1.54). Universal had a net margin of 1.12% and a return on equity of 4.43%. The firm had revenue of $715.24 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $728.20 million. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Universal Corporation will post 4.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Universal Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.83 per share. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 13th. This is a positive change from Universal’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. Universal’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 257.36%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Robert C. Sledd sold 2,845 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.12, for a total value of $153,971.40. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 11,959 shares in the company, valued at approximately $647,221.08. The trade was a 19.22% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 2.20% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UVV. Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in Universal by 18.8% in the first 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 in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of 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 raised its position in shares of Universal by 24.5% in the 1st 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 in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Universal during the 1st quarter worth $3,927,000. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Universal by 20.7% during the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 24,070 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,349,000 after purchasing an additional 4,124 shares during the last quarter. 81.00% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.