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: 2025
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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% | 22.2% | 43.3% |
| 2022 | $2.1B | $223M | $87M | $-8M | 6.5% | - | - |
Income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow as reported
Consolidated Figures in USD Millions.
| Metric | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue | 2,103.60 | 2,569.82 | 2,748.57 | 2,947.28 |
| Cost Of Revenue | 1,694.68 | 2,111.54 | 2,212.48 | 2,398.63 |
| Gross Profit | 408.93 | 458.28 | 536.10 | 548.66 |
| Operating Expense | 240.69 | 277.21 | 310.57 | 305.29 |
| Operating Income | 168.24 | 181.07 | 225.53 | 243.37 |
| EBITDA | 222.54 | 248.57 | 288.68 | 293.62 |
| EBIT | 170.01 | 191.27 | 230.35 | 233.85 |
| Pretax Income | 142.27 | 141.97 | 164.08 | 154.22 |
| Tax Provision | 38.66 | 11.73 | 31.11 | 40.95 |
| Net Income | 86.58 | 124.05 | 119.60 | 95.05 |
| Net Income Common Stockholders | 86.58 | 124.05 | 119.60 | 95.05 |
| Total Expenses | 1,935.36 | 2,388.75 | 2,523.04 | 2,703.91 |
| Interest Expense | 27.75 | 49.30 | 66.27 | 79.64 |
| Interest Income | 0.92 | 6.02 | 4.50 | 3.48 |
| Selling General And Administration | 240.69 | 277.21 | 310.57 | 305.29 |
| Normalized EBITDA | 232.99 | 248.57 | 292.20 | 304.20 |
| Normalized Income | 94.19 | 124.05 | 122.45 | 102.81 |
| Market Cap | 1,337.64 | 1,337.64 | 1,337.64 | 1,337.64 |
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 | 14.07β discount | 0.92 | 6.5% | 7.43 |
| J&J Snack Foods Corp. | JJSF | $1.6B | 24.39 | 1.66 | 6.8% | 10.28 |
| Turning Point Brands, Inc. | TPB | $1.5B | 24.82 | 4.17 | 15.6% | 14.86 |
| Dole plc | DOLE | $1.4B | 14.69 | 1.04 | 3.4% | 7.65 |
| The Simply Good Foods Company | SMPL | $1.3B |
| 11.94 |
| 0.68 |
| 5.7% |
| 7.70 |
| Lincoln Educational Services Corporation | LINC | $1.3B | 63.05 | 6.39 | 10.0% | 29.34 |
| Edgewell Personal Care Company | EPC | $1.1B | 43.06 | 0.70 | 1.6% | 12.29 |
| American Public Education, Inc. | APEI | $1.1B | 41.13 | 3.54 | 10.7% | 14.96 |
| Coursera, Inc. | COUR | $1.0B | - | 1.63 | -8.0% | -3.74 |
| Peer Median | - | 24.82 | 1.64 | 6.3% | 11.28 | |