Daiwa Securities Group Inc. Trims Stake in Universal Co. (NYSE:UVV)

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. reduced its position in Universal Co. (NYSE:UVV) by 12.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 3,646 shares of the company’s stock after selling 518 shares during the period. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.’s holdings in Universal were worth $245,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new position in Universal during the 4th quarter worth approximately $828,000. ORG Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Universal by 4,318.5% during the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 5,744 shares of the company’s stock worth $387,000 after purchasing an additional 5,614 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Universal during the 4th quarter worth $1,346,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Universal by 6,632.6% during the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 3,097 shares of the company’s stock worth $208,000 after buying an additional 3,051 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Universal by 356.2% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 2,103 shares of the company’s stock worth $142,000 after buying an additional 1,642 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.00% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded Universal from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 10th.

Universal Stock Down 0.9 %

Shares of Universal stock opened at $50.80 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $50.07 and a 200-day moving average of $53.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 3.22 and a quick ratio of 1.29. The company has a market capitalization of $1.25 billion, a PE ratio of 9.57 and a beta of 0.79. Universal Co. has a 1-year low of $44.40 and a 1-year high of $67.80.

Universal (NYSE:UVV) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The company reported $2.16 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $821.51 million during the quarter. Universal had a return on equity of 7.46% and a net margin of 4.98%.

Universal Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 6th. Investors of record on Monday, April 8th will be issued a dividend of $0.80 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 5th. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.30%. Universal’s payout ratio is 60.26%.

About Universal

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.