Universal Co. (NYSE:UVV) Short Interest Update

Universal Co. (NYSE:UVV) was the target of a large drop in short interest in the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totalling 417,800 shares, a drop of 15.4% from the December 31st total of 494,100 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 142,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.9 days. Currently, 1.8% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Universal Price Performance

Shares of UVV traded down $0.32 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $52.80. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 133,547 shares, compared to its average volume of 132,697. 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 firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $54.17 and a 200 day simple moving average of $52.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.87 and a beta of 0.80. Universal has a 1-year low of $45.19 and a 1-year high of $59.13.

Universal Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, January 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.81 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, January 13th. This represents a $3.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.14%. Universal’s dividend payout ratio is presently 66.67%.

Universal declared that its Board of Directors has initiated 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 shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in Universal by 82.6% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 672 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 304 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in Universal during the third quarter worth $48,000. nVerses Capital LLC increased its position in Universal by 22.2% during the third quarter. nVerses Capital LLC now owns 1,100 shares of the company’s stock worth $58,000 after buying an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV increased its position in Universal by 57.8% during the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,141 shares of the company’s stock worth $61,000 after buying an additional 418 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sittner & Nelson LLC purchased a new position in Universal during the third quarter worth $119,000. 81.00% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.