Universal (NYSE:UVV) Rating Increased to Hold at Zacks Research

Key Points

• Universal Corporation has been upgraded to a "hold" rating by Zacks Research, reflecting a cautious outlook on the stock's performance.
• Recent transactions by insiders have shown decreasing ownership stakes, with Director Robert C. Sledd selling 4,617 shares and Director Lennart R. Freeman selling 2,800 shares of Universal stock.
• The stock opened at $55.75 and has fluctuated between a low of $49.40 and a high of $67.33 over the past year, illustrating some volatility in its market performance.

Universal (NYSE:UVV - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Zacks Research to a "hold" rating in a report issued on Wednesday, August 20th,Zacks.com reports.

Separately, Wall Street Zen cut Universal from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold".

Universal Stock Performance

Shares of UVV traded up $0.02 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $54.92. 38,265 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 217,156. The business's 50-day moving average price is $55.92 and its 200 day moving average price is $55.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 2.49 and a quick ratio of 0.98. Universal has a twelve month low of $49.40 and a twelve month high of $67.33. The company has a market capitalization of $1.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.36, a PEG ratio of 6.28 and a beta of 0.74.

Universal (NYSE:UVV - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The company reported $0.38 EPS for the quarter. Universal had a return on equity of 8.46% and a net margin of 3.51%.The business had revenue of $593.76 million for the quarter.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Universal news, Director Robert C. Sledd sold 4,617 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.25, for a total transaction of $245,855.25. Following the transaction, the director owned 15,698 shares of the company's stock, valued at $835,918.50. This represents a 22.73% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Lennart R. Freeman sold 2,800 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.89, for a total value of $148,092.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 19,669 shares in the company, valued at $1,040,293.41. This trade represents a 12.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 1.90% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in UVV. Wells Fargo & Company MN increased its holdings in Universal by 9.2% in the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 31,838 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,746,000 after purchasing an additional 2,672 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its holdings in Universal by 19.0% in the 4th quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 4,445 shares of the company's stock valued at $244,000 after purchasing an additional 711 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Universal in the 4th quarter valued at $1,329,000. Sterling Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Universal by 828.9% in the 4th quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 771 shares of the company's stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 688 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC increased its holdings in Universal by 5.2% in the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 42,655 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,340,000 after purchasing an additional 2,090 shares in the last quarter. 81.00% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Universal Company Profile

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.