Equities Analysts Issue Forecasts for Universal Q3 Earnings

Universal Corporation (NYSE:UVV) – Equities research analysts at Sidoti cut their Q3 2027 EPS estimates for Universal in a note issued to investors on Monday, November 9th. Sidoti analyst D. Harriman now expects that the company will post earnings of $1.74 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $1.75. The consensus estimate for Universal’s current full-year earnings is $3.18 per share. Sidoti also issued estimates for Universal’s Q4 2027 earnings at $1.15 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $3.09 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $0.98 EPS and Q3 2028 earnings at $1.66 EPS.

A number of other research firms also recently commented on UVV. Wall Street Zen upgraded Universal from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, September 5th. Weiss Ratings lowered Universal from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Universal from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, October 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Universal presently has an average rating of “Reduce”.

Universal Stock Down 2.0%

Shares of UVV opened at $38.63 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $961.84 million, a PE ratio of -429.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 12.50 and a beta of 0.61. The company’s fifty day moving average is $42.21 and its two-hundred day moving average is $49.91. Universal has a fifty-two week low of $37.38 and a fifty-two week high of $59.38. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 2.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43.

Universal (NYSE:UVV) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.39 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.58 by ($0.19). The company had revenue of $621.85 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $630.10 million. Universal had a positive return on equity of 1.87% and a negative net margin of 0.09%. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.36 EPS.

Institutional Trading of Universal

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Universal by 35.5% in the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 353,655 shares of the company’s stock worth $18,638,000 after acquiring an additional 92,617 shares in the last quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Universal by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 365,142 shares of the company’s stock valued at $15,259,000 after purchasing an additional 1,665 shares in the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Universal by 44.6% during the 3rd quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 188,081 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,860,000 after purchasing an additional 58,022 shares during the last quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC increased its holdings in Universal by 65.0% during the 3rd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 165,492 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,916,000 after purchasing an additional 65,178 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Universal by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 121,109 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,382,000 after purchasing an additional 2,369 shares during the last quarter. 81.00% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Universal Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, January 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.83 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, January 11th. This represents a $3.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 8.6%. Universal’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -3,688.89%.

Universal News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Universal this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Sidoti raised its Q4 2027 EPS estimate to $1.15 from $1.05 and its Q2 2028 estimate to $0.98 from $0.94.
• Negative Sentiment: Sidoti lowered its FY2027 EPS forecast to $3.09 from $3.18. It also trimmed Q3 2027 EPS slightly, to $1.74 from $1.75, and cut Q3 2028 EPS to $1.66 from $1.87. The overall downward revisions could reinforce concerns about earnings prospects.

About Universal

Universal Corporation is a global agricultural products and services company best known for sourcing, processing and supplying leaf tobacco to manufacturers. Its services include managing tobacco supply chains, from crop purchasing and processing to logistics and related support for customers.

The company also operates an Ingredients Operations business, which supplies products such as dehydrated fruits and vegetables, flavors, extracts and other plant-based ingredients for food and beverage customers.

Founded in 1918 and headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, Universal serves customers and growers across a range of international markets.