Zacks Research Upgrades Universal (NYSE:UVV) to Hold

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded Universal from “strong sell” to “hold,” while Weiss Ratings slightly downgraded its hold assessment; analysts’ consensus rating is now “Hold.”
• Universal’s stock rose 1.4% to open at $52.74, with a market capitalization of approximately $1.31 billion and a 52-week range of $49.19 to $59.38.
• The company reported a quarterly loss of $0.46 per share, missing the $1.08 consensus estimate, while revenue of $715.24 million came in below expectations of $728.20 million.

Universal (NYSE:UVV - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Separately, Weiss Ratings lowered Universal from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold".

Universal Stock Up 1.4%

UVV stock opened at $52.74 on Monday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $52.79 and a 200 day moving average of $53.33. The firm has a market cap of $1.31 billion, a PE ratio of 40.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.03 and a beta of 0.60. Universal has a twelve month low of $49.19 and a twelve month high of $59.38. The company has a quick ratio of 1.66, a current ratio of 3.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

Universal (NYSE:UVV - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The company reported ($0.46) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.08 by ($1.54). Universal had a return on equity of 4.43% and a net margin of 1.12%.The company had revenue of $715.24 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $728.20 million. On average, research analysts forecast that Universal will post 4.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Universal news, Director Robert C. Sledd sold 2,845 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.12, for a total transaction of $153,971.40. Following the sale, the director directly owned 11,959 shares in the company, valued at approximately $647,221.08. This trade represents a 19.22% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 2.20% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of UVV. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Universal by 75.2% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 466 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its position in Universal by 67.1% in the 1st 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 stake in Universal by 1,634.4% during the 4th quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 555 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 523 shares during the period. Ankerstar Wealth LLC bought a new position in Universal during the 4th quarter valued at about $37,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Universal by 265.0% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 719 shares of the company's stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 522 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.00% of the company's stock.

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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