Universal (NYSE:UVV) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.19 EPS

Posted by George Bondi on Nov 6th, 2026

Universal (NYSE:UVV – Get Free Report) released its earnings results on Wednesday. The company reported $0.39 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.58 by ($0.19), FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $621.85 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $630.10 million. Universal had a negative net margin of 0.09% and a positive return on equity of 1.87%. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.36 EPS.

Universal Trading Down 4.0%

Shares of Universal stock traded down $1.64 during trading on Friday, reaching $39.40. 211,934 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 267,899. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 2.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $42.49 and its 200 day moving average is $50.07. The firm has a market cap of $980.90 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -438.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 12.50 and a beta of 0.61. Universal has a 1 year low of $38.11 and a 1 year high of $59.38.

Universal Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, January 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.83 per share. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.4%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, January 11th. Universal’s dividend payout ratio is currently -3,688.89%.

Insider Transactions at Universal

In related news, Director Lennart Freeman sold 1,782 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.82, for a total transaction of $88,779.24. Following the transaction, the director owned 16,935 shares in the company, valued at $843,701.70. The trade was a 9.52% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 2.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Trending Headlines about Universal

Here are the key news stories impacting Universal this week:

Positive Sentiment: Universal authorized repurchases of up to $100 million of its shares and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.83 per share, equivalent to $3.32 annualized. These capital returns may appeal to income-focused investors and could support the stock. Universal Corporation Announces Quarterly Dividend and Share Repurchase Program
Neutral Sentiment: Universal appointed Gregory R. Friedman, a finance and operations executive with more than 30 years of experience, to its board. The appointment adds experience but its near-term financial impact is unclear. Universal Corporation Announces Appointment of Gregory R. Friedman to Board of Directors
Negative Sentiment: Fiscal Q2 2027 earnings missed expectations: EPS was $0.39 versus the $0.58 consensus, while revenue of $621.85 million fell short of estimates of $630.10 million. EPS also dropped from $1.36 a year earlier. Management cited slower timing of tobacco shipments, making the results the clearest near-term headwind for UVV. Universal Corporation Reports Second Quarter Fiscal Year 2027 Results

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have commented on UVV. Wall Street Zen raised Universal from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, September 5th. Zacks Research upgraded Universal from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Universal from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Reduce”.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on UVV

Universal Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Universal Corporation (NYSE: UVV) is a global agricultural products company primarily engaged in the procurement, processing and sale of leaf tobacco. Through its tobacco operations, the company purchases tobacco from growers, processes and stores the leaf, and supplies it to manufacturers of cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco and other tobacco products.

Universal handles several types of tobacco, including flue-cured, burley, dark air-cured and oriental varieties, as well as other specialty leaf products.