Universal Corporation Announces Quarterly Dividend and Share Repurchase Program

RICHMOND, Va., Nov. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- George C. Freeman, III, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Universal Corporation (NYSE:UVV), announced today that the Company's Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of seventy-nine cents ($0.79) per share on the common shares of the Company, payable February 6, 2023, to common shareholders of record at the close of business on January 9, 2023.  

In addition, Mr. Freeman announced that the Company's Board of Directors has approved a program for the repurchase of up to $100 million of Universal Corporation shares of common stock. The authorized purchases may be made from time to time on the open market or in privately negotiated transactions at prices not exceeding prevailing market rates. Universal currently has approximately 24.6 million common shares outstanding.

Universal Corporation (NYSE: UVV), headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, is a global business-to-business agri-products supplier to consumer product manufacturers, operating in over 30 countries on five continents.  We strive to be the supplier of choice for our customers by leveraging our farmer base, our commitment to a sustainable supply chain, and our ability to provide high-quality, customized, traceable, value-added agri-products essential for our customers' requirements.  We find innovative solutions to serve our customers and have been meeting their agri-product needs for more than 100 years.  Our principal focus since our founding in 1918 has been tobacco, and we are the leading global leaf tobacco supplier. Through our plant-based ingredients platform, we provide a variety of value-added manufacturing processes to produce high-quality, specialty vegetable- and fruit-based ingredients as well as botanical extracts and flavorings for the food and beverage end markets. For more information, visit www.universalcorp.com.

SOURCE Universal Corporation