Universal (UVV) Competitors

Universal (NYSE:UVV) and Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) are both consumer staples companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, dividends, valuation, earnings, profitability, community ranking, risk, institutional ownership and media sentiment.

Does the MarketBeat Community prefer UVV or PM?

Philip Morris International received 619 more outperform votes than Universal when rated by MarketBeat users. However, 58.33% of users gave Universal an outperform vote while only 57.71% of users gave Philip Morris International an outperform vote.

Company	Underperform	Outperform
Universal	Outperform Votes 182 58.33%	Underperform Votes 130 41.67%
Philip Morris International	Outperform Votes 801 57.71%	Underperform Votes 587 42.29%

Does the media prefer UVV or PM?

In the previous week, Philip Morris International had 11 more articles in the media than Universal. MarketBeat recorded 26 mentions for Philip Morris International and 15 mentions for Universal. Philip Morris International's average media sentiment score of 1.07 beat Universal's score of 0.46 indicating that Philip Morris International is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Universal	4 Very Positive mention(s)	3 Positive mention(s)	5 Neutral mention(s)	3 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Neutral
Philip Morris International	19 Very Positive mention(s)	3 Positive mention(s)	2 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	1 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Which has more risk & volatility, UVV or PM?

Universal has a beta of 0.81, indicating that its stock price is 19% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Philip Morris International has a beta of 0.53, indicating that its stock price is 47% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Which has stronger valuation and earnings, UVV or PM?

Philip Morris International has higher revenue and earnings than Universal. Universal is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Philip Morris International, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Universal	$2.83B	0.49	$119.60M	$4.86	11.59
Philip Morris International	$37.22B	5.27	$7.81B	$6.30	20.01

Do analysts recommend UVV or PM?

Philip Morris International has a consensus target price of $131.50, suggesting a potential upside of 4.33%. Given Philip Morris International's stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Philip Morris International is more favorable than Universal.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Universal	0 Sell rating(s)	0 Hold rating(s)	0 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	0.00
Philip Morris International	1 Sell rating(s)	2 Hold rating(s)	7 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.60

Is UVV or PM more profitable?

Philip Morris International has a net margin of 10.35% compared to Universal's net margin of 4.31%. Universal's return on equity of 8.92% beat Philip Morris International's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Universal	4.31%	8.92%	4.43%
Philip Morris International	10.35%	-117.94%	15.08%

Is UVV or PM a better dividend stock?

Universal pays an annual dividend of $3.24 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.7%. Philip Morris International pays an annual dividend of $5.40 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.3%. Universal pays out 66.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Philip Morris International pays out 85.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Philip Morris International has increased its dividend for 17 consecutive years. Universal is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Do institutionals & insiders have more ownership in UVV or PM?

81.0% of Universal shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 78.6% of Philip Morris International shares are owned by institutional investors. 3.1% of Universal shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.1% of Philip Morris International shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Philip Morris International beats Universal on 14 of the 21 factors compared between the two stocks.