Universal - UVV Stock Forecast, Price & News

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. The company contracts, purchases, processes, and sells flue-cured, burley, and oriental tobaccos that are primarily used in the manufacture of cigarettes; and dark air-cured tobaccos principally used in the manufacture of cigars, natural wrapped cigars and cigarillos, smokeless, and pipe tobacco products. It also provides value-added services, including blending, chemical, and physical testing of tobacco; service cutting for various manufacturers; manufacturing reconstituted leaf tobacco; just-in-time inventory management services; electronic nicotine delivery systems; and smoke testing services for customers. In addition, the company offers testing services for crop protection agents and tobacco constituents in seed, leaf, and finished products, including e-cigarette liquids and vapors; and analytical services that include chemical compound testing in finished tobacco products and mainstream smoke. Further, it provides a various value-added manufacturing processes to produce specialty vegetable and fruit-based ingredients, as well as botanical extracts and flavorings for human and pet food markets; and recycles waste materials from tobacco production. The company was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia.

Universal Trading Up 1.2 %

NYSE:UVV opened at $53.16 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 2.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. Universal has a 52 week low of $46.24 and a 52 week high of $64.13. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.31 billion, a PE ratio of 15.28 and a beta of 0.57. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $56.65 and a two-hundred day moving average of $57.00.

Universal (NYSE:UVV - Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 3rd. The company reported $0.25 EPS for the quarter. Universal had a net margin of 3.99% and a return on equity of 6.85%. The company had revenue of $429.82 million during the quarter.

Universal Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 7th. Investors of record on Monday, October 10th will be paid a $0.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 6th. This represents a $3.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.94%. Universal's payout ratio is 90.80%.

Insider Activity at Universal

In other news, Director Lennart R. Freeman sold 1,402 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.54, for a total transaction of $72,259.08. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 14,320 shares in the company, valued at approximately $738,052.80. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Universal news, Director Robert C. Sledd sold 2,000 shares of Universal stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $63.82, for a total value of $127,640.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 12,288 shares of the company's stock, valued at $784,220.16. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Lennart R. Freeman sold 1,402 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.54, for a total value of $72,259.08. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 14,320 shares in the company, valued at $738,052.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 11,402 shares of company stock valued at $677,899. Insiders own 2.80% of the company's stock.