Short Interest in Universal Co. (NYSE:UVV) Decreases By 75.2%

Universal Co. (NYSE:UVV - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 229,500 shares, a decline of 75.2% from the March 15th total of 924,500 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 264,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.9 days. Approximately 1.0% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com lowered shares of Universal from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 10th.

Universal Stock Performance

Shares of Universal stock traded down $1.78 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $48.59. 170,174 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 260,390. The stock's fifty day moving average is $51.21 and its 200 day moving average is $53.73. The stock has a market cap of $1.19 billion, a PE ratio of 9.15 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a current ratio of 3.22. Universal has a 12 month low of $44.40 and a 12 month high of $67.80.

Universal (NYSE:UVV - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The company reported $2.16 EPS for the quarter. The business had revenue of $821.51 million during the quarter. Universal had a net margin of 4.98% and a return on equity of 7.46%.

Universal Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 6th. Investors of record on Monday, April 8th will be issued a $0.80 dividend. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.59%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 5th. Universal's payout ratio is currently 60.26%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. First Hawaiian Bank lifted its holdings in Universal by 13.9% in the first quarter. First Hawaiian Bank now owns 14,063 shares of the company's stock worth $727,000 after purchasing an additional 1,713 shares during the period. Quadrature Capital Ltd lifted its holdings in Universal by 17.5% in the fourth quarter. Quadrature Capital Ltd now owns 16,089 shares of the company's stock worth $1,083,000 after purchasing an additional 2,397 shares during the period. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in Universal in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its holdings in Universal by 5.8% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 16,509 shares of the company's stock worth $1,112,000 after purchasing an additional 912 shares during the period. Finally, Barclays PLC lifted its holdings in Universal by 226.6% in the fourth quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 37,904 shares of the company's stock worth $2,552,000 after purchasing an additional 26,299 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.00% of the company's stock.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.