Unaudited Quarterly Financial Data (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]

Unaudited Quarterly Financial Data

	First Quarter		Second Quarter			Third Quarter		Fourth Quarter
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
Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2011
Sales and other operating revenues	$	538,916	$	664,188		$	688,208	$	680,215
Gross profit	102,237		133,274			154,044		118,778
Net income	24,418		53,783			57,585		28,764
Net income attributable to Universal Corporation	25,320		51,831			52,298		27,116
Earnings available to Universal Corporation common shareholders after dividends on convertible perpetual preferred stock	21,608		48,118			48,586		23,403
Earnings per share attributable to Universal Corporation common shareholders:
Basic	0.89		2.00			2.05		1.00
Diluted	0.87		1.78			1.82		0.95
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	0.47		0.47			0.48		0.48
Market price range of common stock:
High	55.92		44.82			43.34		43.72
Low	38.38		35.44			37.05		37.74