First Trust Advisors LP Has $52.40 Million Stock Position in Universal Co. (NYSE:UVV)

First Trust Advisors LP lessened its holdings in Universal Co. (NYSE:UVV - Free Report) by 11.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 955,434 shares of the company's stock after selling 127,891 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP owned 3.87% of Universal worth $52,396,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Sterling Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Universal by 828.9% during the 4th quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 771 shares of the company's stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 688 shares during the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in shares of Universal in the third quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp acquired a new position in shares of Universal in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $56,000. US Bancorp DE increased its stake in shares of Universal by 325.7% during the fourth quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,758 shares of the company's stock worth $96,000 after purchasing an additional 1,345 shares during the period. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Universal during the 4th quarter worth approximately $111,000. 81.00% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Universal Stock Performance

UVV stock traded down $0.13 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $57.75. 41,242 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 155,403. Universal Co. has a 12 month low of $45.19 and a 12 month high of $59.13. The company has a current ratio of 2.60, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.91 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $53.95 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $53.55.

Universal (NYSE:UVV - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 21st. The company reported $2.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $937.19 million for the quarter. Universal had a return on equity of 8.92% and a net margin of 4.31%.

Universal Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 5th. Investors of record on Monday, April 14th will be paid a $0.81 dividend. This represents a $3.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.61%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 14th. Universal's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 66.67%.

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.