Universal Co. (NYSE:UVV) Shares Sold by Legal & General Group Plc

Legal & General Group Plc cut its stake in Universal Co. (NYSE:UVV) by 2.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 70,163 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,571 shares during the quarter. Legal & General Group Plc owned approximately 0.28% of Universal worth $3,848,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in Universal during the third quarter worth approximately $48,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp purchased a new position in shares of Universal during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $56,000. US Bancorp DE grew its stake in Universal by 325.7% in the 4th quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,758 shares of the company’s stock valued at $96,000 after acquiring an additional 1,345 shares during the period. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Universal in the 4th quarter worth $111,000. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its position in Universal by 68.6% during the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 3,052 shares of the company’s stock worth $167,000 after acquiring an additional 1,242 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.00% of the company’s stock.

Universal Stock Performance

UVV opened at $54.17 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $1.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.15 and a beta of 0.74. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $53.73 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $53.44. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 2.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. Universal Co. has a 52-week low of $45.19 and a 52-week high of $59.13.

Universal (NYSE:UVV) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 21st. The company reported $2.37 earnings per share for the quarter. Universal had a net margin of 4.31% and a return on equity of 8.92%. The firm had revenue of $937.19 million for the quarter.

Universal Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 5th. Investors of record on Monday, April 14th will be given a dividend of $0.81 per share. This represents a $3.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.98%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 14th. Universal’s payout ratio is 66.67%.

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.