Universal (NYSE:UVV) Stock Passes Above 200 Day Moving Average - Here's Why

Key Points

• Universal Corporation (NYSE:UVV) moved above its 200-day moving average during Friday trading, with shares reaching as high as $54.23 before last trading around $53.69.
• Analyst sentiment was mixed: Wall Street Zen downgraded the stock to hold, Zacks Research upgraded it to hold from strong sell, and Weiss Ratings raised it to buy.
• The company recently reported weaker-than-expected earnings, posting $1.35 EPS versus the $1.92 estimate and revenue of $861.29 million versus $927.20 million expected.

Universal Corporation (NYSE:UVV - Get Free Report) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $53.30 and traded as high as $54.23. Universal shares last traded at $53.6880, with a volume of 111,251 shares changing hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen cut Universal from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 14th. Zacks Research raised Universal from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Universal from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

Universal Trading Down 0.1%

The company has a fifty day moving average of $52.79 and a two-hundred day moving average of $53.30. The company has a current ratio of 2.91, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.05 and a beta of 0.61.

Universal (NYSE:UVV - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The company reported $1.35 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.92 by ($0.57). Universal had a return on equity of 6.49% and a net margin of 2.93%.The company had revenue of $861.29 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $927.20 million. On average, research analysts expect that Universal Corporation will post 4.17 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Universal by 75.2% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 466 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Universal by 67.1% during the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 518 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 208 shares during the last quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Universal by 1,634.4% during the fourth quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 555 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 523 shares during the last quarter. Ankerstar Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Universal during the fourth quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Universal by 265.0% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 719 shares of the company's stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 522 shares during the last quarter. 81.00% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Universal Company Profile

Universal Corporation NYSE: UVV is a global agribusiness company primarily engaged in the procurement, processing and sale of leaf tobacco. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, the company sources cured leaf tobacco from key growing regions in North and South America, Africa and Asia. Universal serves major multinational tobacco manufacturers by providing a full range of services including inventory management, quality control and logistics support to ensure a consistent and reliable supply of tobacco leaf.

In addition to its core leaf tobacco operations, Universal offers integrated supply-chain services that encompass warehousing, distribution and ingredient sourcing for smokeless and novel tobacco products.

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