Universal (UVV) Competitors

Universal (NYSE:UVV) and Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) are both consumer staples companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, analyst recommendations, profitability, risk, media sentiment, earnings and institutional ownership.

Do analysts rate UVV or PM?

Philip Morris International has a consensus price target of $176.80, indicating a potential downside of 1.23%. Given Philip Morris International's stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Philip Morris International is more favorable than Universal.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Universal	0 Sell rating(s)	0 Hold rating(s)	0 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	0.00
Philip Morris International	0 Sell rating(s)	1 Hold rating(s)	10 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.91

Which has more risk and volatility, UVV or PM?

Universal has a beta of 0.73, indicating that its stock price is 27% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Philip Morris International has a beta of 0.51, indicating that its stock price is 49% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Is UVV or PM more profitable?

Philip Morris International has a net margin of 8.43% compared to Universal's net margin of 3.22%. Universal's return on equity of 7.89% beat Philip Morris International's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Universal	3.22%	7.89%	3.84%
Philip Morris International	8.43%	-122.40%	16.25%

Does the media refer more to UVV or PM?

In the previous week, Philip Morris International had 60 more articles in the media than Universal. MarketBeat recorded 70 mentions for Philip Morris International and 10 mentions for Universal. Philip Morris International's average media sentiment score of 1.37 beat Universal's score of 0.53 indicating that Philip Morris International is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Universal	3 Very Positive mention(s)	3 Positive mention(s)	2 Neutral mention(s)	2 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Philip Morris International	59 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	8 Neutral mention(s)	1 Negative mention(s)	1 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Which has preferable earnings & valuation, UVV or PM?

Philip Morris International has higher revenue and earnings than Universal. Universal is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Philip Morris International, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Universal	$2.95B	0.49	$95.05M	$3.78	15.53
Philip Morris International	$89.44B	3.12	$7.06B	$4.85	36.91

Do insiders & institutionals have more ownership in UVV or PM?

81.0% of Universal shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 78.6% of Philip Morris International shares are owned by institutional investors. 3.1% of Universal shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.1% of Philip Morris International shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Is UVV or PM a better dividend stock?

Universal pays an annual dividend of $3.24 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.5%. Philip Morris International pays an annual dividend of $5.40 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.0%. Universal pays out 85.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Philip Morris International pays out 111.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Universal has raised its dividend for 56 consecutive years and Philip Morris International has raised its dividend for 17 consecutive years. Universal is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Summary

Philip Morris International beats Universal on 12 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.