Fmr LLC Raises Stake in Universal Co. (NYSE:UVV)

Fmr LLC grew its holdings in shares of Universal Co. (NYSE:UVV) by 438.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 11,277 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 9,181 shares during the quarter. Fmr LLC’s holdings in Universal were worth $599,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of UVV. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System boosted its position in Universal by 1.6% during the 2nd quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 12,400 shares of the company’s stock worth $598,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. nVerses Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Universal by 22.2% in the third quarter. nVerses Capital LLC now owns 1,100 shares of the company’s stock valued at $58,000 after buying an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Keene & Associates Inc. boosted its holdings in Universal by 3.2% in the 2nd quarter. Keene & Associates Inc. now owns 7,005 shares of the company’s stock worth $338,000 after acquiring an additional 220 shares during the period. SteelPeak Wealth LLC grew its position in Universal by 6.6% in the third quarter. SteelPeak Wealth LLC now owns 4,648 shares of the company’s stock valued at $247,000 after acquiring an additional 286 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in Universal by 82.6% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 672 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 304 shares in the last quarter. 81.00% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Universal Price Performance

Shares of UVV stock opened at $54.99 on Thursday. Universal Co. has a twelve month low of $45.19 and a twelve month high of $67.80. The company has a market capitalization of $1.36 billion, a PE ratio of 11.31 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a current ratio of 2.60, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $53.72 and a 200-day simple moving average of $51.78.

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

Universal Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, January 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.81 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, January 13th. This represents a $3.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.89%. Universal’s dividend payout ratio is presently 66.67%.

Universal 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.