UVVUniversal Corporation
Is it safe?
Strong, no red flags: a safe balance sheet and clean books.
Financially healthy, low distress risk Altman Z-score, a bankruptcy-risk model from five balance-sheet ratios.
Reported earnings show no manipulation flags Beneish M-score, a forensic model that detects earnings-manipulation patterns (receivables outrunning sales, margins slipping, accrual-heavy profit).
Mixed fundamental signals Piotroski F-score, nine pass/fail tests of year-over-year financial health across profitability, balance sheet and efficiency. 7 to 9 is strong, 0 to 3 weak.
Insiders were net sellers (-$89K, 90 days to Oct 8, 2026), selling is often routine.
Investment-grade balance sheet. A rule of thumb on leverage, not a credit rating.
Moderate price swings, typical volatility. Worst drawdown -46% · now 27% below its 52-week high.
Unless marked, from SEC EDGAR, as of Mar 31, 2026.
Against the whole market›
Percentile against every name Ryufin tracks. Higher is better; the tick marks the middle of the market. Context, not one of the checks above.
Where this answer is blind. Altman sits structurally low for utilities and pipelines; Beneish runs high for fast growers, since sales growth alone lifts it; banks and REITs are excluded.
Can UVV take a bad year?
Universal Corporation carries $1.01B of net debt at 6.04× EBITDA: a heavy load to carry through a bad year.
Net debt · as at Q1 2027 · over four years of earnings before interest, tax and depreciation, heavy
- Net debt / EBITDA
- 6.04×
Net debt / EBITDA · 3.74× a year ago · the load is going up
- Altman Z-score
- 3.04
Altman Z-score · safe zone, above 3
- Interest cover
- 1.88×
Interest cover · operating profit barely covers the interest bill
Details›
- Total debtQ1 2027
- $1.18B
- Cash and short-term investments
- $174M
- Net debt
- $1.01B
- EBITDA, trailing twelve months
- $167M
- Operating profit, trailing twelve months
- $137M
- Debt / equity
- 0.85×
- Total debt / EBITDA
- 7.07×
- Annualised volatilitytwo years of daily moves
- 25%
- Worst drawdown on file
- −46%
- Below its 52-week high
- 27%
Balance sheet from SEC filings; drawdown and volatility from end-of-day closes; Altman Z from the filed statements.
Consumer Defensive
Ranks #74 of 131 by RyuScore