Universal Co. (NYSE:UVV) Shares Sold by HighTower Advisors LLC

HighTower Advisors LLC reduced its position in shares of Universal Co. (NYSE:UVV) by 46.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,100 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,542 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in Universal were worth $224,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of UVV. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Universal during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $697,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its stake in Universal by 85.6% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 22,020 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,169,000 after acquiring an additional 10,155 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in Universal by 145.9% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,533 shares of the company’s stock valued at $135,000 after purchasing an additional 1,503 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Universal by 5,210.9% in the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 2,443 shares of the company’s stock valued at $130,000 after purchasing an additional 2,397 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of Universal by 82.6% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 672 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 304 shares during the period. 81.00% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Universal Stock Up 0.7 %

Shares of NYSE:UVV opened at $54.80 on Wednesday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $53.95 and a 200 day moving average price of $51.97. Universal Co. has a 12-month low of $45.19 and a 12-month high of $67.80. 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 company has a market capitalization of $1.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.28 and a beta of 0.81.

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

Universal Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, January 13th will be paid a $0.81 dividend. This represents a $3.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.91%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, January 13th. Universal’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 66.67%.

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.