Unaudited Quarterly Financial Data (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2018

Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]

Unaudited Quarterly Financial Data

	First Quarter			Second Quarter		Third Quarter		Fourth Quarter
Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2018
Operating Results:
Sales and other operating revenues	$	284,622		$	488,248	$	653,581	$	607,496
Gross profit	53,857			93,076		108,518		116,497
Net income	3,321			28,306		50,219		34,322
Net income attributable to Universal Corporation	3,577			26,167		45,400		30,518
Earnings per common share:
Basic	0.14			1.03		1.80		1.21
Diluted	0.14			1.02		1.78		1.20
Cash Dividends Declared:
Per share of common stock	0.54			0.54		0.55		0.55
Market Price Range of Common Stock:
High	75.70			65.90		60.45		53.85
Low	63.15			55.00		52.05		45.95
Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2017
Operating Results:
Sales and other operating revenues	$	295,475		$	456,942	$	668,771	$	650,030
Gross profit	52,197			87,844		135,453		119,185
Net income (loss)	(7,504		)	26,498		57,062		36,450
Net income (loss) attributable to Universal Corporation	(5,476		)	25,264		53,647		32,869
Earnings (loss) available to Universal Corporation common shareholders after dividends on convertible perpetual preferred stock	(9,163		)	21,577		49,960		(41,484		)
Earnings (loss) per share attributable to Universal Corporation common shareholders:
Basic	(0.40		)	0.95		2.17		(1.64		)
Diluted	(0.40		)	0.90		1.92		(1.64		)
Cash Dividends Declared:
Per share of convertible perpetual preferred stock	16.88			16.87		16.88		—
Per share of common stock	0.53			0.53		0.54		0.54
Market Price Range of Common Stock:
High	57.75			61.69		64.20		83.35
Low	52.26			55.29		52.40		63.30