Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Has $1.03 Million Stake in Universal Co. (NYSE:UVV)

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans cut its holdings in shares of Universal Co. (NYSE:UVV) by 4.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 19,391 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,008 shares during the quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans owned about 0.08% of Universal worth $1,030,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 304 shares during the last quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Universal by 41.7% in the 2nd quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC now owns 850 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 250 shares during the period. nVerses Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Universal during the second quarter worth approximately $43,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new stake in shares of Universal during the second quarter worth approximately $48,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in shares of Universal by 145.2% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,030 shares of the company’s stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 610 shares during the last quarter. 81.00% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Universal Stock Performance

NYSE:UVV opened at $57.20 on Tuesday. 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 stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $52.75 and a 200 day simple moving average of $51.19. Universal Co. has a 1-year low of $45.19 and a 1-year high of $67.80. The stock has a market cap of $1.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.77 and a beta of 0.77.

Universal Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, January 13th will be given a $0.81 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, January 13th. This represents a $3.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.66%. Universal’s payout ratio is 66.67%.

Universal declared that its board has approved a share buyback program on Thursday, November 7th that authorizes the company to buyback $100.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 7.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Universal Company 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.