Universal
Supplies leaf tobacco and plant-based ingredients to consumer product manufacturers.
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Profile
Processes and supplies leaf tobacco through a global farm-sourcing and processing network, while a newer ingredients segment makes fruit, vegetable, botanical extract, flavor, and color products. Tobacco remains the larger base, shaped by crop sourcing, regulation, and a concentrated group of major tobacco manufacturers.
Sources, processes, packs, stores, and ships leaf tobacco for manufacturers of consumer tobacco products through Tobacco Operations, the historical core of the business. Ingredients Operations adds plant-based products for human and pet consumption, including fruit and vegetable juices, concentrates, dehydrated products, botanical extracts, flavors, and colors.
The operating model is global and B2B rather than consumer branded. Farmer contracting, agronomic support, traceability, processing near growing origins, testing, blending, service cutting, reconstituted leaf, and just-in-time delivery are central to the tobacco network.
Most employees are outside the United States, and the company operates across five continents. The business depends on crop availability, agricultural sourcing, tobacco regulation, and a small group of large tobacco manufacturers that account for much of consolidated revenue.
Company facts
Categories
Key statistics
Year to date −13.0% · Average volume (30d) 291.6K
Analysts
No analyst consensus on record.
Earnings
EPS
Revenue
History
| Report date | EPS est | EPS | Surprise | Revenue est | Revenue | Surprise | Next session |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 5, 2026Q1 FY27 | $0.25 | −$0.18 | −172.0% | $587.0M | $523.8M | −10.8% | −1.77% |
| May 28, 2026Q4 FY26 | $1.08 | −$0.46 | −142.6% | $728.2M | $715.2M | −1.8% | +1.39% |
| Feb 9, 2026Q3 FY26 | $1.92 | $1.35 | −29.7% | $927.2M | $861.3M | −7.1% | 0.00% |
| Nov 5, 2025Q2 FY26 | $1.34 | $1.36 | +1.5% | $704.3M | $754.2M | +7.1% | +5.34% |
Financial highlights
| 12 quarters | Q4 FY25 | Q1 FY26 | Q2 FY26 | Q3 FY26 | Q4 FY26 | Q1 FY27 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $702.3M | $593.8M | $754.2M | $861.3M | $715.2M | $523.8M | |
| Gross profit | $116.7M | $113.9M | $139.8M | $158.6M | $98.5M | $83.1M | |
| Operating income | $44.5M | $33.9M | $67.6M | $81.0M | $26.1M | $2.3M | |
| Net income | $9.3M | $8.5M | $34.2M | $33.2M | −$43.3M | −$5.0M | |
| Diluted EPS | $0.37 | $0.34 | $1.36 | $1.32 | −$1.72 | −$0.20 | |
| Gross margin | 16.6% | 19.2% | 18.5% | 18.4% | 13.8% | 15.9% | |
| Operating margin | 6.3% | 5.7% | 9.0% | 9.4% | 3.6% | 0.4% |
Fiscal years (4-quarter sums)FY22 $2.10B · FY23 $2.57B · FY24 $2.75B · FY25 $2.95B · FY26 $2.92B
Revenue by product · Q1 FY27
Revenue by geography · FY26
Balance sheet, Jun 30, 2026Cash & short-term investments $173.6M · Total debt $1.22B · Total assets $3.04B · Shareholders' equity $1.39B
Dividends
Raised for 38 straight years — most recently to $0.83 from $0.82 in Jul 2026. To collect a payout, hold shares through the close before the ex-date.
History
| Ex-date | Record | Paid | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 13, 2026 | Jul 13 | Aug 3 | $0.83 | raised from $0.82 |
| Apr 15, 2026 | Apr 15 | May 4 | $0.82 | |
| Jan 12, 2026 | Jan 12 | Feb 2 | $0.82 | |
| Oct 10, 2025 | Oct 13 | Nov 3 | $0.82 | |
| Jul 14, 2025 | Jul 14 | Aug 4 | $0.82 | raised from $0.81 |
| Apr 14, 2025 | Apr 14 | May 5 | $0.81 | |
| Jan 13, 2025 | Jan 13 | Feb 3 | $0.81 | |
| Oct 11, 2024 | Oct 14 | Nov 4 | $0.81 |
Ownership
Shares outstanding 24.93M · Float 24.32M · 97.6% free float
Top shareholders13F · 13D/G · Form 4
| Holder | Shares | % outstanding | Form | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BlackRock, Inc. | 3.90M | 15.63% | 13F | Aug 7, 2026 |
| Vanguard Portfolio Management LLC | 1.81M | 7.27% | 13F | Aug 13, 2026 |
| Dimensional Fund Advisors LP | 1.76M | 7.08% | 13F | Aug 11, 2026 |
| State Street Corp | 1.45M | 5.81% | 13F | Aug 7, 2026 |
| Vanguard Capital Management LLC | 1.12M | 4.48% | 13F | Aug 13, 2026 |
Insider tradesForm 4
| Date | Insider | Role | Shares | Avg price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 10, 2026 | Lennart R. Freeman | director | −1,782 | $49.82 |
| Jun 3, 2026 | Robert C. Sledd | director | −2,845 | $54.13 |
| Feb 26, 2026 | Robert C. Sledd | director | −1,000 | $53.95 |
| Feb 19, 2026 | Lennart R. Freeman | director | −3,746 | $53.45 |
Peers
- Philip Morris International
Major tobacco customer with direct farmer sourcing
- British American Tobacco (ADR)
Vertically integrated tobacco maker with in-house leaf operations
- International Flavors & Fragrances
Scaled taste and food-ingredients rival in natural solutions
- Sensient Technologies
Direct overlap in flavors, extracts, colors, and dehydrated inputs
CompareAfter-hours close
| Company | Price | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Universal | $45.74 | +0.02% | $1.14B | 60.2 | 13.6 | 0.4 | −11.8% |
| Philip Morris International | $191.85 | −0.01% | $299.08B | 27.6 | 22.0 | 7.0 | +10.4% |
| British American Tobacco (ADR) | $56.13 | +0.02% | $121.07B | 13.9 | — | 3.5 | −0.1% |
| International Flavors & Fragrances | $83.37 | −5.20% | $22.45B | 81.4 | 25.8 | 2.3 | −29.3% |
| Sensient Technologies | $135.12 | 0.00% | $5.75B | 36.4 | 30.4 | 3.4 | +11.6% |
| Median | 32.0 | 25.8 | 3.4 | +5.1% |