Unaudited Quarterly Financial Data (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]

Unaudited Quarterly Financial Data

	First Quarter		Second Quarter			Third Quarter		Fourth Quarter
Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2013
Sales and other operating revenues	$	461,391	$	675,187		$	680,029	$	645,092
Gross profit	92,030		138,049			125,441		106,897
Net income	25,233		49,286			39,715		26,685
Net income attributable to Universal Corporation	23,125		47,981			35,542		26,102
Earnings available to Universal Corporation common shareholders after dividends on convertible perpetual preferred stock	19,413		44,268			31,830		22,389
Earnings per share attributable to Universal Corporation common shareholders:
Basic	0.83		1.89			1.36		0.96
Diluted	0.81		1.68			1.25		0.92
Cash dividends declared per share of convertible perpetual preferred stock	16.88		16.87			16.88		16.87
Cash dividends declared per share of common stock	0.49		0.49			0.50		0.50
Market price range of common stock:
High	47.40		51.10			52.25		58.36
Low	44.08		44.03			45.62		51.29
Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2012
Sales and other operating revenues	$	479,465	$	641,026		$	672,420	$	653,966
Gross profit	94,358		119,426			147,105		111,103
Net income (loss)	17,322		(7,997		)	61,602		29,892
Net income (loss) attributable to Universal Corporation	15,888		(8,039		)	58,453		25,755
Earnings (loss) available to Universal Corporation common shareholders after dividends on convertible perpetual preferred stock	12,176		(11,752		)	54,741		22,042
Earnings (loss) per share attributable to Universal Corporation common shareholders:
Basic	0.52		(0.51		)	2.36		0.95
Diluted	0.52		(0.51		)	2.06		0.91
Cash dividends declared per share of convertible perpetual preferred stock	16.88		16.87			16.88		16.87
Cash dividends declared per share of common stock	0.48		0.48			0.49		0.49
Market price range of common stock:
High	45.72		41.48			47.38		48.60
Low	36.94		35.11			35.78		44.88