Universal (NYSE:UVV) Stock Moved Down to "Strong Sell" by Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research downgraded Universal from “hold” to “strong sell”; MarketBeat reports an average analyst rating of “sell,” with two analysts assigning sell ratings.
• Universal’s latest quarterly results fell short of forecasts: EPS was $0.39 versus $0.58 expected, while revenue was $621.85 million versus $630.10 million expected. EPS also declined from $1.36 in the year-ago quarter.
• Shares opened at $37.92, down 1.7%, near the stock’s 12-month low of $37.38. Sidoti lowered its full-year EPS estimates for 2027 and 2028.

Universal (NYSE:UVV - Get Free Report) was downgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note issued on Tuesday, Zacks reports.

A number of other brokerages have also recently issued reports on UVV. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Universal from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Universal from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, September 5th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Sell rating. Based on data from MarketBeat, Universal has an average rating of "Sell".

Universal Trading Down 1.7%

Shares of NYSE:UVV opened at $37.92 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $945.45 million, a PE ratio of 35.08, a P/E/G ratio of 12.49 and a beta of 0.61. The business has a 50 day moving average of $41.91 and a 200-day moving average of $49.75. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 2.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. Universal has a 12-month low of $37.38 and a 12-month high of $59.38.

Universal (NYSE:UVV - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.39 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.58 by ($0.19). Universal had a negative net margin of 0.09% and a positive return on equity of 1.88%. The firm had revenue of $621.85 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $630.10 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.36 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Universal will post 3.09 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Advisors Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Universal in the third quarter worth $1,239,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its position in Universal by 32.5% during the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 2,231 shares of the company's stock worth $93,000 after purchasing an additional 547 shares during the last quarter. Virtus Advisers LLC lifted its holdings in Universal by 16.8% during the 3rd quarter. Virtus Advisers LLC now owns 6,063 shares of the company's stock worth $253,000 after buying an additional 871 shares during the period. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System acquired a new position in Universal during the 3rd quarter worth about $231,000. Finally, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lifted its holdings in Universal by 2.3% during the 3rd quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 12,630 shares of the company's stock worth $528,000 after buying an additional 283 shares during the period. 81.00% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Universal News Roundup

These are some of the UVV news items that stood out recently:

• Positive Sentiment: Sidoti raised its estimates for Q1 2028 EPS from a loss of $0.02 to earnings of $0.04, Q2 2028 EPS from $0.94 to $0.98, and Q4 2027 EPS from $1.05 to $1.15. Universal Corporation analyst estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Sidoti lowered its FY2027 EPS forecast from $3.18 to $3.09 and FY2028 EPS from $3.95 to $3.51. It also reduced its Q3 2028 estimate from $1.87 to $1.66 and Q4 2028 estimate from $1.16 to $0.83, suggesting weaker earnings expectations overall. Universal Corporation analyst estimates

About Universal

Universal Corporation is a global agricultural products and services company best known for sourcing, processing and supplying leaf tobacco to manufacturers. Its services include managing tobacco supply chains, from crop purchasing and processing to logistics and related support for customers. The company also operates an Ingredients Operations business, which supplies products such as dehydrated fruits and vegetables, flavors, extracts and other plant-based ingredients for food and beverage customers.

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