Universal Corporation (UVV): Today's Featured Tobacco Loser

Source from:  The Street 12/15/2011

Universal Corporation (UVV) pushed the Tobacco industry lower today making it today's featured Tobacco loser. The industry as a whole closed the day down 0.6%. By the end of trading, Universal Corporation fell 75 cents (-1.7%) to $42.78 on average volume. Throughout the day, 466,831 shares of Universal Corporation exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 340,100 shares. The stock ranged in price between $42.48-$44.21 after having opened the day at $43.84 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $43.53. Another company within the Tobacco industry that decreased today was Star Scientific (CIGX), down 3.2%. Universal Corporation, through its subsidiaries, operates as a leaf tobacco merchant and processor primarily in North America, South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. Universal Corporation has a market cap of $1.02 billion and is part of the consumer goods sector. The company has a P/E ratio of 15.7, equal to the average tobacco industry P/E ratio and below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 8% year to date as of the close of trading on Monday. Currently there is one analyst that rates Universal Corporation a buy, no analysts rate it a sell, and none rate it a hold. TheStreet Ratings rates Universal Corporation as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its good cash flow from operations, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures and solid stock price performance. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had somewhat weak growth in earnings per share. Enditem