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

Universal (NYSE:UVV) was downgraded by Zacks Research from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday, MarketBeat reports.

Separately, Weiss Ratings downgraded Universal from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold”.

Universal Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of UVV stock opened at $52.98 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $1.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.68. Universal has a 1 year low of $49.40 and a 1 year high of $67.33. The company has a current ratio of 2.70, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $52.87 and a 200 day simple moving average of $54.60.

Universal (NYSE:UVV) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported $1.36 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.18 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $754.18 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $704.30 million. Universal had a return on equity of 8.24% and a net margin of 3.74%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Barclays PLC raised its stake in Universal by 917.9% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 578,564 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,324,000 after acquiring an additional 521,724 shares in the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd increased its position in Universal by 180.5% during the 2nd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 438,134 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,517,000 after purchasing an additional 281,920 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in Universal by 1,575.1% in the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 279,058 shares of the company’s stock valued at $15,591,000 after purchasing an additional 262,399 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in Universal by 21.2% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 815,801 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,579,000 after purchasing an additional 142,439 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its position in Universal by 1,218.7% in the second quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 123,602 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,199,000 after buying an additional 114,229 shares in the last quarter. 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.