Universal Corporation, a business-to-business agriproducts company, provides leaf tobacco and plant-based ingredients to food and beverage end markets worldwide. The company operates in two segments, Tobacco Operations and Ingredients Operations. The Tobacco Operations segment is involved in procuring, processing, packing, storing, and shipping of flue-cured, burley, dark air-cured, and oriental leaf tobacco for consumer product manufacturers, as well as provision of related services. This segment also offers specialty services, such as custom blending, chemical and physical testing of tobacco, service cutting, reconstituted leaf tobacco manufacturing, and just-in-time product delivery services; and liquid nicotine for tobacco products manufacturers, as well as recycled waste materials from tobacco production. The Ingredients Operations segment engages in the production of specialty plant-based ingredients, including fruits, vegetables, herbs, fruit and vegetable juices, concentrates, pomaces, ciders, purees, nutraceuticals, fruit fibers, seeds, seed powders, dehydrated products, botanical extracts, distillates, natural flavors, colors, and other value-added products for consumer-packaged goods manufacturers and retailers, as well as food, beverage, and flavor companies. The company was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia.
5-year financial trends. Figures in USD millions.
Latest fiscal year: 2026
Year-by-year revenue, profitability, and cash flow (USD millions, last 10 years)
| Year | Revenue | EBITDA | Net Profit | FCF | ROE | Rev Growth 1Y | NP Growth 1Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $2.9B | $230M | $33M | $80M | 2.3% | -0.8% | -65.7% |
| 2025 | $2.9B | $294M | $95M | $264M | 6.5% | 7.2% | -20.5% |
| 2024 | $2.7B | $289M | $120M | $-141M | 8.3% | 7.0% | -3.6% |
| 2023 | $2.6B | $249M | $124M | $-65M | 8.9% | - | - |
| 2022 | - | - |
Income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow as reported
Consolidated Figures in USD Millions.
| Metric | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue | - | 2,569.82 | 2,748.57 | 2,947.28 | 2,924.47 |
| Operating Revenue | - | 2,549.82 | 2,721.64 | 2,922.92 | 2,885.08 |
| Cost Of Revenue | - | 2,111.54 | 2,212.48 | 2,398.63 | 2,412.45 |
| Gross Profit | - | 458.28 | 536.10 | 548.66 | 512.02 |
| Operating Expense | - | 277.21 | 310.57 | 305.29 | 300.67 |
| Selling General And Administration | - | 277.21 | 310.57 | 305.29 | 300.67 |
| Total Expenses | - | 2,388.75 | 2,523.04 | 2,703.91 | 2,713.12 |
| Operating Income | - | 181.07 | 225.53 | 243.37 | 211.34 |
| Total Operating Income As Reported | - | 181.07 | 222.01 | 232.80 | 168.45 |
| EBITDA | - | 248.57 | 288.68 | 293.62 | 230.13 |
| Normalized EBITDA | - | 248.57 | 292.20 | 304.20 | 273.02 |
| EBIT | - | 191.27 | 230.35 | 233.85 | 176.69 |
| Interest Income | - | 6.02 | 4.50 | 3.48 | 1.96 |
| Interest Expense | - | 49.30 | 66.27 | 79.64 | 74.04 |
| Net Interest Income | - | -43.28 | -61.77 | -76.15 | -72.08 |
| Other Non Operating Income Expenses | - | 1.79 | 3.08 | -11.53 | 2.85 |
| Other Income Expense | - | 4.17 | 0.32 | -13 | -36.62 |
| Interest Income Non Operating | - | 6.02 | 4.50 | 3.48 | 1.96 |
| Interest Expense Non Operating | - | 49.30 | 66.27 | 79.64 | 74.04 |
| Net Non Operating Interest Income Expense | - | -43.28 | -61.77 | -76.15 | -72.08 |
| Pretax Income | - | 141.97 | 164.08 | 154.22 | 102.65 |
| Tax Provision | - | 11.73 | 31.11 | 40.95 | 46.66 |
| Tax Rate For Calcs | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tax Effect Of Unusual Items | - | 0 | -0.67 | -2.81 | -17.16 |
| Net Income Continuous Operations | - | 130.24 | 132.97 | 113.27 | 56 |
| Net Income From Continuing And Discontinued Operation | - | 124.05 | 119.60 | 95.05 | 32.64 |
| Net Income From Continuing Operation Net Minority Interest | - | 124.05 | 119.60 | 95.05 | 32.64 |
| Net Income | - | 124.05 | 119.60 | 95.05 | 32.64 |
| Net Income Common Stockholders | - | 124.05 | 119.60 | 95.05 | 32.64 |
| Net Income Including Noncontrolling Interests | - | 130.24 | 132.97 | 113.27 | 56 |
| Normalized Income | - | 124.05 | 122.45 | 102.81 | 58.37 |
| Diluted NI Availto Com Stockholders | - | 124.05 | 119.60 | 95.05 | 32.64 |
| Basic Average Shares | - | 24.77 | 24.85 | 24.95 | 25.04 |
| Diluted Average Shares | - | 24.94 | 25.04 | 25.13 | 25.17 |
| Reconciled Depreciation | - | 57.30 | 58.33 | 59.77 | 53.44 |
| Reconciled Cost Of Revenue | - | 2,111.54 | 2,212.48 | 2,398.63 | 2,412.45 |
| Total Unusual Items | - | 0 | -3.52 | -10.57 | -42.89 |
| Total Unusual Items Excluding Goodwill | - | 0 | -3.52 | -10.57 | -42.89 |
| Minority Interests | - | -6.18 | -13.37 | -18.22 | -23.36 |
| Special Income Charges | - | 0 | -3.52 | -10.57 | -42.89 |
| Impairment Of Capital Assets | - | 0 | 2.09 | 4.86 | 42.06 |
| Restructuring And Mergern Acquisition | - | 0 | 1.43 | 5.71 | 0.83 |
| Earnings From Equity Interest | - | 2.38 | 0.76 | 9.10 | 3.43 |
Consumer Defensive sector peers, ranked by market cap
| Company | Ticker | Market Cap | P/E | P/B | ROE | EV/EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Corporationthis co. | UVV | $1.3B | 40.37β premium | 0.93 | 2.3% | 9.54 |
| Lincoln Educational Services Corporation | LINC | $1.6B | 80.26 | 8.04 | 10.0% | 36.58 |
| Coursera, Inc. | COUR | $1.6B | -31.27 | 2.51 | -8.0% | - |
| Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. | FDP | $1.4B | 15.41 | 0.69 | 4.5% | 7.97 |
| J&J Snack Foods Corp. | JJSF |
| - |
| - |
| - |
| - |
| - |
| $1.4B |
| 21.22 |
| 1.44 |
| 6.8% |
| 8.99 |
| Dole plc | DOLE | $1.3B | 25.83 | 0.97 | 3.8% | 6.63 |
| Herbalife Ltd. | HLF | $1.2B | 5.17 | -2.29 | -44.3% | 4.93 |
| Phoenix Education Partners, Inc. | PXED | $1.1B | 8.34 | 4.53 | 54.3% | 5.15 |
| The Simply Good Foods Company | SMPL | $1.1B | 10.44 | 0.60 | 5.7% | 6.87 |
| Peer Median | - | 12.93 | 1.21 | 5.1% | 6.87 | |