New York State Teachers Retirement System Trims Holdings in Universal Co. (NYSE:UVV)

New York State Teachers Retirement System lowered its position in shares of Universal Co. (NYSE:UVV) by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 46,547 shares of the company’s stock after selling 241 shares during the quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System owned 0.19% of Universal worth $2,472,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Boston Partners bought a new position in shares of Universal in the first quarter worth about $12,273,000. ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Universal by 69.1% in the 2nd quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 273,280 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,169,000 after purchasing an additional 111,691 shares in the last quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Universal by 183.0% in the 1st quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 53,600 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,772,000 after purchasing an additional 34,659 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in Universal during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $534,000. Finally, Freestone Capital Holdings LLC bought a new stake in shares of Universal during the first quarter valued at approximately $465,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.00% of the company’s stock.

Universal Price Performance

UVV stock opened at $52.04 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.28 billion, a PE ratio of 10.71 and a beta of 0.77. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $51.76 and its 200-day moving average price is $50.90. Universal Co. has a one year low of $45.19 and a one year high of $67.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 2.60.

Universal (NYSE:UVV) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $0.01 EPS for the quarter. Universal had a net margin of 4.31% and a return on equity of 8.92%. The business had revenue of $597.05 million during the quarter.

Universal Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, January 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.81 per share. This represents a $3.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.23%. Universal’s payout ratio is presently 66.67%.

Universal announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program on Thursday, November 7th that allows the company to repurchase $100.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to reacquire up to 7.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

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.