Private Advisor Group LLC Takes Position in Universal Corporation (NYSE:UVV)

Key Points

• Private Advisor Group LLC has acquired a new position in Universal Corporation, purchasing 5,022 shares valued at approximately $281,000 during the first quarter.
• Universal Corporation recently increased its quarterly dividend to $0.82, representing an annualized dividend of $3.28 and a dividend yield of 6.1%.
• Analysts from Wall Street Zen have downgraded Universal's stock from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating, indicating a shift in their outlook on the company's performance.

Private Advisor Group LLC purchased a new position in Universal Corporation (NYSE:UVV - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 5,022 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $281,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sterling Capital Management LLC raised its position in Universal by 828.9% in the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 771 shares of the company's stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 688 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in Universal by 38.6% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,149 shares of the company's stock worth $64,000 after acquiring an additional 320 shares in the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas bought a new stake in Universal in the first quarter worth about $202,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in Universal by 19.0% in the fourth quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 4,445 shares of the company's stock worth $244,000 after acquiring an additional 711 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sigma Planning Corp raised its position in Universal by 8.3% in the first quarter. Sigma Planning Corp now owns 5,654 shares of the company's stock worth $317,000 after acquiring an additional 435 shares in the last quarter. 81.00% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Universal from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 31st.

Universal Trading Down 0.9%

NYSE UVV traded down $0.49 on Friday, hitting $53.98. 229,638 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 315,267. The company's 50 day moving average price is $58.23 and its 200-day moving average price is $55.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 2.87 and a quick ratio of 1.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.28 and a beta of 0.74. Universal Corporation has a twelve month low of $49.05 and a twelve month high of $67.33.

Universal (NYSE:UVV - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 29th. The company reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $702.28 million for the quarter. Universal had a return on equity of 7.89% and a net margin of 3.22%.

Universal Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 4th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 14th will be issued a $0.82 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 14th. This represents a $3.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.1%. This is a positive change from Universal's previous quarterly dividend of $0.81. Universal's dividend payout ratio is currently 86.77%.

About Universal

Universal Corporation processes and supplies leaf tobacco and plant-based ingredients worldwide. The company operates through two segments, Tobacco Operations; and Ingredients Operations. It is involved in the procuring, financing, processing, packing, storing, and shipping leaf tobacco for sale to manufacturers of consumer tobacco products.