Universal (UVV) Stock Price, News & Analysis

Company Overview

Universal Corporation is a global originator, processor and marketer of agricultural products, principally flue-cured and burley tobacco leaf. Established in 1918 and headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, the company serves as a critical link between tobacco growers and manufacturers of cigarettes and other tobacco products. Over its more than a century of operations, Universal has built an extensive network of leaf-purchasing and processing facilities, enabling it to supply consistent, high-quality tobacco to leading consumer-products companies worldwide.

The company’s core activities encompass the procurement of raw tobacco from independent farmers under both contract and open-market arrangements, the rigorous application of agronomic and quality-control practices in field and warehouse operations, and the processing and merchandising of cured leaf. Universal’s vertically integrated model extends from seed selection and crop assistance through the receipt, fermentation, cutting, blending, packaging and shipment of finished leaf. This comprehensive approach helps ensure product uniformity and traceability at all stages of the supply chain.

Universal’s geographic reach spans the primary tobacco-growing regions of the United States, Brazil, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Turkey and Western Europe, combined with processing and distribution facilities in key consumer markets across Asia, Africa and Central Europe. The company maintains offices in major tobacco hubs, providing on-the-ground agronomic support and fostering long-term relationships with farmers. These global operations allow Universal to adapt to shifting market requirements and to source a broad variety of tobacco types and styles.

Leadership at Universal Corporation emphasizes both industry expertise and governance. Chief Executive Officer C. J. Neal, who joined the company’s executive team in 2008 and became CEO in 2018, guides a management group with extensive experience in agricultural commerce, quality management and international trade. Supported by a board of directors with diverse backgrounds in finance, operations, and corporate sustainability, the company continues to focus on operational efficiency, product innovation and responsible sourcing practices.

Key Stats

• Today's Range: $57.78 to $59.00
• 50-Day Range: $55.58 to $65.34
• 52-Week Range: $46.26 to $67.33
• Volume: 238,975 shs
• Average Volume: 169,579 shs
• Market Capitalization: $1.44 billion
• P/E Ratio: 15.31
• Dividend Yield: 5.67%
• Price Target: N/A
• Consensus Rating: N/A

Universal Stock Analysis - MarketRank™

Universal scored higher than 64% of companies evaluated by MarketBeat, and ranked 77th out of 142 stocks in the consumer staples sector. Scores are calculated by averaging available category scores, with extra weight given to analysis and valuation.

Analyst's Opinion

• Score: N/A
• Analyst Rating: N/A

Consensus Rating

There is not enough analysis data for Universal.

Earnings and Valuation

• Score: 1.9 / 5
• Proj. Earnings Growth: N/A

Price to Earnings Ratio vs. the Market

The P/E ratio of Universal is 15.31, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the market average P/E ratio of about 25.68.

Price to Earnings Ratio vs. Sector

The P/E ratio of Universal is 15.31, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the Consumer Staples sector average P/E ratio of about 19.81.

Price to Book Value per Share Ratio

Universal has a P/B Ratio of 0.95. P/B Ratios below 1 indicate that a company could be undervalued with respect to its assets and liabilities.

Short Interest

• Score: 5.0 / 5
• Short Interest Level: Healthy

Percentage of Shares Shorted

2.77% of the float of Universal has been sold short.

Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover

Universal has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 2.7, which is generally considered an acceptable ratio of short interest to trading volume.

Change versus previous month

Short interest in Universal has recently decreased by 8.68%, indicating that investor sentiment is improving significantly.

Dividend

• Score: 3.3 / 5
• Dividend Strength: Strong

Dividend Leadership

Universal is a leading dividend payer. It pays a dividend yield of 5.51%, putting its dividend yield in the top 25% of dividend-paying stocks.

Dividend Growth

Universal has been increasing its dividend for 56 years.

Dividend Coverage

The dividend payout ratio of Universal is 85.71%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable.

Sustainability and ESG

• Score: 0.0 / 5
• Environmental Score: -1.60

Percentage of Shares Shorted

2.77% of the float of Universal has been sold short.

Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover

Universal has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 2.7, which is generally considered an acceptable ratio of short interest to trading volume.

Change versus previous month

Short interest in Universal has recently decreased by 8.68%, indicating that investor sentiment is improving significantly.

News and Social Media

• Score: 2.5 / 5
• News Sentiment: 0.43

News Sentiment

Universal has a news sentiment score of 0.43. This score is calculated as an average of sentiment of articles about the company over the last seven days and ranges from 2 (good news) to -2 (bad news). This is a lower news sentiment than the 0.69 average news sentiment score of Consumer Staples companies.

News Coverage This Week

MarketBeat has tracked 10 news articles for Universal this week, compared to 10 articles on an average week.

Search Interest

8 people have searched for UVV on MarketBeat in the last 30 days. This is an increase of 33% compared to the previous 30 days.

MarketBeat Follows

2 people have added Universal to their MarketBeat watchlist in the last 30 days. This is an increase of 100% compared to the previous 30 days.

Company Ownership

• Score: 1.7 / 5
• Insider Trading: N/A

Insider Buying vs. Insider Selling

In the past three months, Universal insiders have not sold or bought any company stock.

Percentage Held by Insiders

Only 1.90% of the stock of Universal is held by insiders.

Percentage Held by Institutions

81.00% of the stock of Universal is held by institutions. High institutional ownership can be a signal of strong market trust in this company.

UVV Stock Analysis - Frequently Asked Questions

How have UVV shares performed this year?

Universal's stock was trading at $54.84 at the beginning of the year. Since then, UVV shares have increased by 5.5% and is now trading at $57.88.

How were Universal's earnings last quarter?

Universal Corporation (NYSE:UVV) issued its earnings results on Thursday, May, 29th. The company reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm earned $702.28 million during the quarter. Universal had a net margin of 3.22% and a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 7.89%.
Read the conference call transcript.

Is Universal buying back stock?

Universal's board approved a stock repurchase program on Thursday, November 7th 2024, which authorizes the company to repurchase $100,000,000 in shares, according to EventVestor. This means that the company could buy up to 7.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

How do I buy shares of Universal?

Shares of UVV stock can be purchased through any online brokerage account. Popular online brokerages with access to the U.S. stock market include Charles Schwab, E*TRADE, Fidelity, and Vanguard Brokerage Services.

What other stocks do shareholders of Universal own?

Based on aggregate information from My MarketBeat watchlists, some other companies that Universal investors own include American Water Works (AWK), Waste Connections (WCN), The RMR Group (RMR), iShares Micro-Cap ETF (IWC), DiamondRock Hospitality (DRH), AU Optronics (AUOTY) and Voyager Therapeutics (VYGR).

Company Calendar

• Record date for 5/5 Dividend: 4/14/2025
• Ex-Dividend for 5/5 Dividend: 4/14/2025
• Dividend Payable: 5/05/2025
• Last Earnings: 5/29/2025
• Today: 7/07/2025
• Record date for 8/4 Dividend: 7/14/2025
• Ex-Dividend for 8/4 Dividend: 7/14/2025
• Dividend Payable: 8/04/2025
• Next Earnings (Estimated): 8/06/2025
• Fiscal Year End: 3/31/2026

Industry, Sector and Symbol

• Stock Exchange: NYSE
• Sector: Consumer Staples
• Industry: TOBACCO
• Sub-Industry: Tobacco
• Current Symbol: NYSE:UVV
• CIK: 102037
• Web: www.universalcorp.com
• Phone: (804) 359-9311
• Fax: 804-254-3594
• Employees: 28,500
• Year Founded: N/A

Profitability

• EPS (Trailing Twelve Months): $3.78
• Trailing P/E Ratio: 15.31
• Forward P/E Ratio: N/A
• P/E Growth: N/A
• Net Income: $95.05 million
• Net Margins: 3.22%
• Pretax Margin: 5.23%
• Return on Equity: 7.89%
• Return on Assets: 3.84%

Debt

• Debt-to-Equity Ratio: 0.41
• Current Ratio: 2.87
• Quick Ratio: 1.55

Sales & Book Value

• Annual Sales: $2.95 billion
• Price / Sales: 0.49
• Cash Flow: $7.01 per share
• Price / Cash Flow: 8.26
• Book Value: $60.71 per share
• Price / Book: 0.95

Miscellaneous

• Outstanding Shares: 24,800,000
• Free Float: 24,327,000
• Market Cap: $1.44 billion
• Optionable: Optionable
• Beta: 0.73