UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC Lowers Position in Universal Co. (NYSE:UVV)

UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC decreased its position in shares of Universal Co. (NYSE:UVV) by 12.6% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 33,038 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,764 shares during the quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC owned 0.13% of Universal worth $1,755,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in UVV. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Universal by 4.6% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 542,683 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,822,000 after buying an additional 24,089 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Universal by 69.1% during the 2nd quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 273,280 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,169,000 after acquiring an additional 111,691 shares in the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Universal by 2.3% during the 3rd quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 221,695 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,774,000 after acquiring an additional 4,986 shares during the period. Insight Folios Inc increased its stake in shares of Universal by 7.1% in the 3rd quarter. Insight Folios Inc now owns 123,842 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,577,000 after purchasing an additional 8,222 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Public Sector Pension Investment Board raised its holdings in Universal by 7.4% in the 2nd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 54,086 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,606,000 after purchasing an additional 3,716 shares during the period. 81.00% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Universal Stock Performance

Shares of UVV stock opened at $57.28 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. Universal Co. has a 12-month low of $45.19 and a 12-month high of $67.80. The business’s 50 day moving average is $53.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $51.70. The company has a market capitalization of $1.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.79 and a beta of 0.81.

Universal Announces Dividend

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

Universal declared that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Thursday, November 7th that authorizes the company to buyback $100.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to purchase up to 7.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Universal 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.