Universal (NYSE:UVV) Stock Crosses Below Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Universal Corporation (NYSE:UVV)’s stock price passed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $53.35 and traded as low as $52.94. Universal shares last traded at $53.2550, with a volume of 175,354 shares trading hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on UVV shares. Zacks Research cut Universal from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Weiss Ratings lowered Universal from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Universal has a consensus rating of “Reduce”.

Universal Trading Up 0.2%

The company has a quick ratio of 1.66, a current ratio of 3.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.28, a P/E/G ratio of 4.12 and a beta of 0.59. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $52.98 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $53.35.

Universal (NYSE:UVV) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The company reported ($0.46) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.08 by ($1.54). The company had revenue of $715.24 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $728.20 million. Universal had a return on equity of 4.43% and a net margin of 1.12%. As a group, analysts forecast that Universal Corporation will post 4.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Universal Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, July 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.83 per share. This is an increase from Universal’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 13th. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.2%. Universal’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 257.36%.

Insider Transactions at Universal

In other Universal news, Director Robert C. Sledd sold 2,845 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.12, for a total value of $153,971.40. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 11,959 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $647,221.08. This trade represents a 19.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 2.20% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in Universal by 75.2% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 466 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its holdings in Universal by 67.1% during the first 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 shares of Universal by 1,634.4% in the fourth quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 555 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 523 shares in the last quarter. Ankerstar Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Universal in the fourth quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Universal by 265.0% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 719 shares of the company’s stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 522 shares during the last quarter. 81.00% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Universal

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.