UVV Analyst Ratings
Universal Corporation (UVV) operates in the Consumer Defensive sector, specifically the Tobacco industry, with a market capitalization near $1.34B, listed on NYSE, employing roughly 10,800 people, carrying a beta of 0.59 to the broader market. Universal Corporation processes and supplies leaf tobacco and plant-based ingredients worldwide. Led by Preston Douglas Wigner, public since 1988-01-05.
Consensus: Mixed from 0 analysts.
Recent Upgrades & Downgrades
| Date | Firm | Action | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2013 | Davenport | upgrade | Neutral | Buy |
| Mar 18, 2013 | Davenport | downgrade | Buy | Neutral |
How to Read UVV Analyst Coverage
Sell-side equity analysts publish three primary outputs: ratings (Strong Buy / Buy / Hold / Sell / Strong Sell, or firm-specific equivalents), price targets, and EPS / revenue estimate revisions. Rating consensus moves slowly relative to price; it reflects 12-month directional conviction rather than near-term momentum. Price targets are more responsive but typically drift behind realized price during sharp moves. The most actionable signal for options traders is a cluster of ratings actions across multiple firms within a short window, which compresses or expands implied volatility on a horizon of days to weeks and shifts the put-call skew toward the directional consensus. The recent-actions table above shows the five most recent firm-level changes; longer histories live behind aggregator sources.
For event-driven options sizing, pair the consensus rating and target distribution with the implied-volatility surface and dealer-positioning view. Aggressive target hikes from multiple firms tend to tighten put skew (downside protection becomes relatively cheaper); aggressive cuts widen put skew. The size of the IV response in the hours after a rating change is visible on the per-ticker volatility skew page and the gamma-exposure page, both of which show how dealer hedging propagates the analyst-driven flow into the listed options chain.
Learn how analyst ratings is reported and how to read the data →
Frequently asked UVV analyst ratings questions
- What is the UVV consensus price target?
- Consensus price target is not currently available for UVV.
- What is the analyst rating consensus on UVV?
- Analyst rating consensus is not currently available for UVV.
- What recent ratings actions has UVV seen?
- The five most recent ratings actions on UVV appear on the page above. Sell-side rating changes are watched for two reasons: an upgrade or downgrade with a meaningful target revision moves the consensus and can trigger short-term positioning shifts, and the firm-level rating cluster (multiple firms moving in the same direction within a short window) is a clearer signal than any single action. Options markets often price the implied-vol response within minutes of the announcement.
- How do analyst targets affect UVV options pricing?
- Analyst target revisions tend to be priced in by the lit options market within minutes of publication, but persistent target drift over weeks does correlate with implied-volatility movement. Aggressive target hikes from multiple firms inside a single quarter tighten put skew (downside protection becomes cheaper relative to upside speculation); aggressive cuts widen put skew. The most actionable read is the implied-vol response in the hours after a target change, which is visible on the per-ticker volatility skew page.