What is Sidoti Csr’s Forecast for Universal Q4 Earnings?

Universal Corporation (NYSE:UVV) – Equities researchers at Sidoti Csr increased their Q4 2026 earnings estimates for shares of Universal in a report issued on Thursday, February 12th. Sidoti Csr analyst D. Harriman now anticipates that the company will post earnings of $1.08 per share for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $1.07. Sidoti Csr also issued estimates for Universal’s Q1 2027 earnings at $0.34 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.33 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.64 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $1.09 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $4.40 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $0.41 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $1.36 EPS, Q3 2028 earnings at $1.70 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $4.61 EPS.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Universal from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Universal from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, December 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Universal Price Performance

Shares of Universal stock opened at $52.73 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $1.31 billion, a PE ratio of 15.55, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.66. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $54.29 and a 200 day moving average of $54.04. The company has a current ratio of 2.91, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. Universal has a 12 month low of $49.96 and a 12 month high of $67.33.

Universal (NYSE:UVV) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 9th. The company reported $1.35 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.92 by ($0.57). Universal had a net margin of 2.93% and a return on equity of 6.49%. The firm had revenue of $861.29 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $927.20 million.

Universal Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 4th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 15th will be issued a $0.82 dividend. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 15th. Universal’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 96.76%.

Institutional Trading of Universal

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Ankerstar Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Universal in the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. Bank of Montreal Can lifted its holdings in Universal by 16.0% in the fourth quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 8,612 shares of the company’s stock valued at $454,000 after acquiring an additional 1,187 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank boosted its position in Universal by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 49,100 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,590,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter. Nuveen LLC boosted its position in Universal by 48.0% in the 4th quarter. Nuveen LLC now owns 58,173 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,069,000 after purchasing an additional 18,861 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund grew its stake in shares of Universal by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 13,033 shares of the company’s stock worth $687,000 after purchasing an additional 316 shares during the period. 81.00% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Universal News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Universal this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Sidoti raised two near‑term quarter estimates: Q1 2027 from $0.30 to $0.34 and Q4 2026 from $1.07 to $1.08 — small upward tweaks that suggest pockets of resilience.
• Neutral Sentiment: Sidoti published a full multi‑quarter outlook including FY2028 at $4.61 EPS (and quarterly cadence for FY2027/FY2028). That shows the analyst expects a rebound by FY2028 even as 2027 is softened.
• Neutral Sentiment: Context: recent coverage and commentary highlight stable tobacco demand and management’s description of the quarter as broadly solid despite the firm missing consensus on the Q3 report; investors should weigh company commentary against the analyst downgrades. InsiderMonkey Q3 coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Sidoti cut FY2027 EPS to $4.40 from a prior $4.61 — a meaningful downward revision to the full‑year outlook that may pressure valuation given UVV’s ~15.6x P/E.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple 2027 quarterly downgrades: Q2 2027 lowered to $1.33 (from $1.37), Q3 2027 to $1.64 (from $1.79), and Q4 2027 to $1.09 (from $1.16). These cuts compress expected near‑term earnings versus prior forecasts and help explain today’s negative sentiment.

About Universal

Universal Corporation (NYSE: UVV) is a global agribusiness company primarily engaged in the procurement, processing and sale of leaf tobacco. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, the company sources cured leaf tobacco from key growing regions in North and South America, Africa and Asia. Universal serves major multinational tobacco manufacturers by providing a full range of services including inventory management, quality control and logistics support to ensure a consistent and reliable supply of tobacco leaf.

In addition to its core leaf tobacco operations, Universal offers integrated supply-chain services that encompass warehousing, distribution and ingredient sourcing for smokeless and novel tobacco products.