UNIVERSAL CORP /VA/
11-K, 1996-06-27
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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              Washington, DC 20549

                                    FORM 11-K



[X]Annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Securities  Exchange Act of
1934 [fee required] for the fiscal year ending December 31, 1995.


                                       OR


[ ]Transition  report  pursuant  to  section  15(d) of the  Securities  Exchange
Act of 1934 [no fee required]

Commission file number 1-652



A.    Full title of the Plan:

      EMPLOYEES'   STOCK  PURCHASE  PLAN  OF  UNIVERSAL  LEAF  TOBACCO  COMPANY,
      INCORPORATED AND DESIGNATED AFFILIATED COMPANIES

B.    Name of the issuer of the  securities  held  pursuant  to the plan and the
      address of its principle executive office:


                              UNIVERSAL CORPORATION
                           1501 NORTH HAMILTON STREET
                            RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23260
                                 (804) 359-9311





                                       1


 
                                   SIGNATURES


Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the Plan
Administrator  has duly caused this annual  report to be signed on its behalf by
the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                  EMPLOYEES' STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
                                  OF UNIVERSAL LEAF TOBACCO
                                  COMPANY, INCORPORATED AND
                                  DESIGNATED AFFILIATED COMPANIES



DATE:  June 25, 1996              /s/ Hartwell H. Roper
       -------------              ----------------------------------
                                  Hartwell H. Roper
                                  Executive Vice President and Chief Financial
                                  Officer
                                  Universal Leaf Tobacco Company, Inc.





                                       2
<PAGE>


                              Financial Statements
                           and Supplemental Schedules
                        Employees' Stock Purchase Plan of
                  Universal Leaf Tobacco Company, Incorporated
                       and Designated Affiliated Companies
                     Years ended December 31, 1995 and 1994
                       with Report of Independent Auditors




<PAGE>


                        Employees' Stock Purchase Plan of
                  Universal Leaf Tobacco Company, Incorporated
                       and Designated Affiliated Companies

                              Financial Statements
                           and Supplemental Schedules

                     Years ended December 31, l995 and 1994
                       with Report of Independent Auditors





                        Table of Contents

                                                                    Page

Report of Independent Auditors........................................1

Financial Statements

Statements of Net Assets Available for Plan Benefits..................2

Statement of Changes in Net Assets Available for Plan Benefits........3

Notes to Financial Statements.........................................4


Supplemental Schedules                                            Schedules

Item 27a - Schedule of Assets Held for Investment Purposes............1

Item 27d - Schedule of Reportable Transactions........................2




<PAGE>


                        Letterhead of Ernst & Young LLP


                         Report of Independent Auditors

Human Resources and Retirement Committee,
Employees' Stock Purchase Plan of
Universal Leaf Tobacco Company, Incorporated
and Designated Affiliated Companies

We have audited the  accompanying  statements  of net assets  available for plan
benefits  of the  Employees'  Stock  Purchase  Plan of  Universal  Leaf  Tobacco
Company,  lncorporated  and  Designated  Affiliated  Companies  (the Plan) as of
December  31, 1995 and 1994 and the related  statement  of changes in net assets
available  for plan  benefits  for the  year  ended  December  31,  1995.  These
financial  statements  are the  responsibility  of the  Plan's  management.  Our
responsibility  is to express an opinion on these financial  statements based on
our audits.

We  conducted  our  audits  in  accordance  with  generally   accepted  auditing
standards.  Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement.  An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements.  An audit also includes
assessing the  accounting  principles  used and  significant  estimates  made by
management,  as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion,  the financial  statements  referred to above present fairly, in
all material respects, the net assets available for plan benefits of the Plan at
December 31, 1995 and 1994, and the changes in its net assets available for plan
benefits for the year ended  December 31, 1995,  in  conformity  with  generally
accepted accounting principles.

Our  audits  were  made for the  purpose  of  forming  an  opinion  on the basic
financial statements taken as a whole. The accompanying  supplemental  schedules
of assets held for  investment  purposes as of December 31, 1995, and reportable
transactions  for the year then ended,  are  presented for purposes of complying
with  the  Department  of  Labor's  Rules  and  Regulations  for  Reporting  and
Disclosure  under the Employee  Retirement  Income Security Act of 1974, and are
not a required part of the basic financial  statements.  The Fund Information in
the  statements  of net assets  available for plan benefits and the statement of
changes in net assets  available  for plan benefits is presented for purposes of
additional  analysis  rather than to present the net assets  available  for plan
benefits and changes in net assets available for plan benefits of each fund. The
supplemental  schedules and Fund Information have been subjected to the auditing
procedures  applied in our audits of the basic financial  statements and, in our
opinion,  are fairly  stated in all  material  respects in relation to the basic
financial statements taken as a whole.


                                          ERNST & YOUNG LLP

June 25, 1996


                                       1



                        Employees' Stock Purchase Plan of
                  Universal Leaf Tobacco Company, Incorporated
                       and Designated Affiliated Companies

  Statements of Net Assets Available for Plan Benefits, With Fund Information
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                                     December 31, 1995
                                       ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                   Non-Participant
                                                 Participant Directed                 Directed
                                      ------------------------------------------- ------------------
                                         Universal    Lawyers Title                   Universal
                                        Corporation    Corporation      Fixed        Corporation
                                          Common          Common       Income          Common
                                        Stock Fund      Stock Fund      Fund         Stock Fund           Total
                                      ------------------------------------------- ------------------ ----------------
<S> <C>
Common stock of Universal 
   Corporation, at market:
   1,401,209 shares                      $16,195,968    $         -    $      -       $17,958,502       $34,154,470

Common stock of Lawyers 
   Title Corporation, at market:
   68,024 shares                                   -      1,300,959           -                 -         1,300,959

Investment in a fund consisting
   of guaranteed investment
   contracts; 666,674 units                        -              -     666,674                 -           666,674

Temporary cash investments                     3,671              -       2,435             4,071            10,177
                                      ------------------------------------------- ------------------ ----------------
                                      ------------------------------------------- ------------------ ----------------

Net assets available for plan benefits   $16,199,639     $1,300,959    $669,109       $17,962,573       $36,132,280
                                      =========================================== ================== ================
<CAPTION>

                                                                     December 31, 1994
                                       ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                    Non-Participant
                                                  Participant Directed                 Directed
                                       ------------------------------------------- -----------------
                                                       Lawyers Title
                                         Universal      Corporation                   Universal
                                        Corporation       Common         Fixed       Corporation
                                           Common       Stock Fund      Income          Common
                                         Stock Fund                      Fund         Stock Fund          Total
                                       ------------------------------------------- -----------------  ---------------
<S> <C>
Common stock of Universal 
   Corporation, at market:
   1,451,996 shares                       $13,742,583   $       -         $    -      $15,116,047        $28,858,630

Common stock of Lawyers 
   Title Corporation, at market:
   85,671 shares                                    -     899,546              -                -            899,546

Investment in a fund consisting
   of guaranteed investment
   contracts; 579,105 units                         -           -        579,105                -            579,105

Temporary cash investments                      7,955           -          3,198            8,750             19,903
                                       ------------------------------------------- -----------------  ---------------
                                       ------------------------------------------- -----------------  ---------------

Net assets available for plan benefits    $13,750,538    $899,546       $582,303      $15,124,797        $30,357,184
                                       =========================================== =================  ===============

</TABLE>

See accompanying notes.

                                       2






                        Employees' Stock Purchase Plan of
                  Universal Leaf Tobacco Company, Incorporated
                       and Designated Affiliated Companies

    Statement of Changes in Net Assets Available for Plan Benefits, With Fund
                                   Information

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>




                                                               Year ended December 31, 1995
                                     ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                     Non-Participant
                                                  Participant Directed                   Directed
                                     ----------------------------------------------- -----------------
                                        Universal     Lawyers Title                     Universal
                                       Corporation     Corporation       Fixed         Corporation
                                         Common          Common          Income           Common
                                       Stock Fund      Stock Fund         Fund          Stock Fund          Total
                                     ----------------------------------------------- ----------------- ----------------
<S> <C>
Investment income:
   Net appreciation in market value
     of investments                      $3,020,768   $    642,769      $       -        $3,335,315      $  6,998,852
   Cash dividends                           676,360              -              -           746,897         1,423,257
   Interest                                   8,111              -         39,962             8,957            57,030
                                     ----------------------------------------------- ----------------- ----------------
                                          3,705,239        642,769         39,962         4,091,169         8,479,139

Contributions and credit from
   forfeitures                            1,426,927              -        110,749         1,537,676         3,075,352
                                     ----------------------------------------------- ----------------- ----------------
                                          5,132,166        642,769        150,711         5,628,845        11,554,491
Withdrawals and forfeitures of
   employees' accounts                   (2,702,139)      (201,219)       (63,905)       (2,812,132)       (5,779,395)

Transfer among funds                         19,074        (40,137)             -            21,063                 -
                                     ----------------------------------------------- ----------------- ----------------

Net increase                              2,449,101        401,413         86,806         2,837,776         5,775,096

Net assets available for plan benefits:
   December 31, 1994                     13,750,538        899,546        582,303        15,124,797        30,357,184
                                     ----------------------------------------------- ----------------- ----------------

   December 31, 1995                    $16,199,639   $  1,300,959      $ 669,109       $17,962,573    $   36,132,280
                                     =============================================== ================= ================
</TABLE>



See accompanying notes.

                                       3





                        Employees' Stock Purchase Plan of
                  Universal Leaf Tobacco Company, Incorporated
                       and Designated Affiliated Companies

                          Notes to Financial Statements

                     Years ended December 31, l995 and 1994



1. Description of the Plan

A complete  description of Plan provisions  including those relating to vesting,
withdrawals and  distributions  is contained in the Summary Plan Description and
the  Plan  document  which  has been  filed  with the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission.  Copies of these  documents and the prospectus  relating to the Plan
are available from the Universal Corporation Benefits Department.  The following
summary should be read in conjunction with the aforementioned documents.

General

The Plan is a defined  contribution  plan  sponsored by  Universal  Leaf Tobacco
Company,  Incorporated  (the  sponsor)  for  the  benefit  of  certain  salaried
employees  of the  sponsor  and  designated  affiliated  companies.  The Plan as
amended  and  restated  on July 1,  1989 is  subject  to the  provisions  of the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).

Contributions

After one year of service,  employees  may elect to contribute 1% to 5% of their
total  pay  (including  overtime  and  bonuses)  by  means  of  monthly  payroll
deductions.  Employers match 100% of employee contributions except to the extent
that the  employer  contribution  is reduced  by  forfeitures  from  withdrawing
participants.

Employees  may elect to invest in the Universal  Corporation  Common Stock Fund,
Fixed  Income  Fund or to divide  their  contributions  equally  between the two
funds.  Employers'  contributions are invested only in the Universal Corporation
Common Stock Fund.

Participant accounts

Each participant's account is credited with the participant's contributions, the
employer's  matching  contribution and credit from forfeitures and an allocation
of the Plan's investment  income. The benefit to which a participant is entitled
is the benefit that can be provided from the participant's account.


                                       4



                        Employees' Stock Purchase Plan of
                  Universal Leaf Tobacco Company, Incorporated
                       and Designated Affiliated Companies

                    Notes to Financial Statements (continued)





1. Description of the Plan (continued)

Vesting

Participants  are fully  vested in  participant  contributions  and in  employer
contributions  in the  event of  retirement,  disability  or  death.  Otherwise,
vesting  in  the  employer  contributions  occurs  according  to  the  following
schedule:

             Years of service      Vesting percentage
           ---------------------- ---------------------
                    0-4                      0%
                     5                     100%

Benefits

Participants  who retire or become  disabled  may  receive a  distribution  in a
single lump sum or in annual installments over a period not to exceed ten years.

Termination

While the sponsor has not expressed any intent to terminate the Plan, it is free
to do so at any time,  subject to the provisions of ERISA.  In the event of Plan
termination, participants will become fully vested in their accounts.

Lawyers Title Corporation Shares

During October 1991, each participant elected to either sell or hold all Lawyers
Title  Corporation  shares  distributed  to them as a  dividend  from  Universal
Corporation  in conjunction  with the spin off of the Lawyers Title  subsidiary.
Participants  continuing to hold Lawyers Title  Corporation  shares may elect to
sell 100% of their holdings as part of their regular  semi-annual  elections and
have the proceeds invested in Universal  Corporation Common Stock. No additional
investments in Lawyers Title  Corporation  Common Stock are permitted  under the
Plan.



                                       5



                        Employees' Stock Purchase Plan of
                  Universal Leaf Tobacco Company, Incorporated
                       and Designated Affiliated Companies

                    Notes to Financial Statements (continued)





1. Description of the Plan (continued)

Pursuant to an IRS Ruling and applicable Treasury Regulations, participants were
required to allocate their tax basis in the Universal  Corporation  Common Stock
held at the time of the distribution between their Universal  Corporation Common
Stock and Lawyers Title Corporation Common Stock (including any fractional share
interest) in proportion to their relative fair market values at that time. Based
on the  average  of the high and low  trading  prices of  Universal  Corporation
Common  Stock and Lawyers  Title  Corporation  Common  Stock on October 1, 1991,
95.343 percent of the basis was allocated to Universal  Corporation Common Stock
and 4.657 percent was allocated to Lawyers Title Corporation Common Stock.

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Investments

The Plan's investments are held by a bank-administered  trust fund.  Investments
in the Common Stock Funds are carried at market value based upon quotations from
the New York Stock  Exchange.  Dividends  are recorded on the record  date,  and
interest is accrued as earned.

Investments  in the Fixed  Income Fund  consist of a pooled  fund of  guaranteed
investment  contracts  issued by life  insurance  companies  and  managed by the
Trustee.   The  guaranteed   investment  contracts  are  valued  at  cost  which
approximates market value.

Estimates and Assumptions

The preparation of financial  statements in conformity  with generally  accepted
accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that
affect the amounts reported in the financial  statements and accompanying notes.
Actual results could differ from those estimates.



                                       6



                        Employees' Stock Purchase Plan of
                  Universal Leaf Tobacco Company, Incorporated
                       and Designated Affiliated Companies

                    Notes to Financial Statements (continued)





3. Contributions

Contributions  to the Plan by  employers  and  participants  for the year  ended
December 31, l995 were as follows:


            Participants'       Employers'        Credit from
            Contributions      Contributions      Forfeitures         Total
          ---------------------------------------------------------------------

1995         $1,537,676         $1,526,489          $11,187         $3,075,352


4. Income Taxes

The Plan has been  determined  by the Internal  Revenue  Service to be qualified
under  Section  401(a) of the Internal  Revenue Code and the related trust to be
exempt from taxation under Section 501(a).  Continued  qualification of the Plan
will depend on continued effect in operation under the approved form.  Universal
Leaf  Tobacco  Company,  Incorporated  is not  aware of any  series of events or
course of actions that may have adversely  affected the qualified  status of the
Plan.

Until such time as a participant or his beneficiary  withdraws from the Plan, no
income tax is payable by the participant on  contributions  made by his employer
on his behalf or interest and  dividends  added to his  account.  The income tax
ramifications  to  employees  with  respect  to the  Plan are  described  in the
Prospectus covering the Plan which is available to all employees.

5. Related Party Transactions

The administrative expenses of the Plan, which include Trustee's fees of $55,176
and $56,753 during the years ended December 31, l995 and 1994, respectively, are
paid by Universal Leaf Tobacco Company, Incorporated and are not included in the
accompanying financial statements.


                                       7



                        Employees' Stock Purchase Plan of
                  Universal Leaf Tobacco Company, Incorporated
                       and Designated Affiliated Companies

                    Notes to Financial Statements (continued)





5. Related Party Transactions (continued)

Under the provisions of the Plan, shares of Universal  Corporation  Common Stock
may be purchased from employees, including officers, at the closing price on the
New York Stock  Exchange on the date of  purchase.  Such  purchases  amounted to
$142,967  and  $156,770  during  the years  ended  December  31,  l995 and 1994,
respectively.




                                       8
<PAGE>


                             Supplemental Schedules


<PAGE>

                                   Schedule 1

                     Item 27a - Schedule of Assets Held for
                               Investment Purposes



<PAGE>






                                                                      Schedule 1




                        Employees' Stock Purchase Plan of
                  Universal Leaf Tobacco Company, Incorporated
                       and Designated Affiliated Companies

           Item 27a - Schedule of Assets Held for Investment Purposes

                                December 31, 1995

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                                                                       Market
             Name and Title                                                          Cost              Value
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------       --------------------------------------
<S> <C>
Universal Corporation Common Stock Fund
   Common stock of Universal Corporation                                      $     24,943,654   $     34,154,470
   Temporary cash investments                                                            7,742              7,742
                                                                              --------------------------------------
                                                                              ======================================
                                                                              $     24,951,396   $     34,162,212
                                                                              ======================================
                                                                              ======================================

Lawyers Title Corporation Common Stock Fund
   Common stock of Lawyers Title Corporation                                  $        228,572   $      1,300,959
                                                                              ======================================
                                                                              ======================================

Fixed Income Fund
   Investment in a fund consisting of guaranteed 
     investment contracts                                                     $        666,674   $        666,674
   Temporary cash investments                                                            2,435              2,435
                                                                              --------------------------------------
                                                                              ======================================
                                                                              $        669,109   $        669,109
                                                                              ======================================
</TABLE>


                                   Schedule 2

                        Item 27d - Schedule of Reportable
                                  Transactions


<PAGE>


                        Employees' Stock Purchase Plan of
                  Universal Leaf Tobacco Company, Incorporated
                       and Designated Affiliated Companies

                 Item 27d - Schedule of Reportable Transactions

                                December 31, 1995


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                                       Current Value of
                Identity of                                       Purchase       Selling      Cost of      Asset on       Net Gain
               Party Involved            Description               Price          Price        Asset   Transaction Date   or (Loss)
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C>
Category (iii) - Series of Transactions in Excess of 5% of Plan Assets

Edwards (A.G.) and Sons, Inc.         Purchased  48,000 shares   $1,069,500
                                      of Universal Stock at
                                      various   prices  in  a
                                      series  of  15
                                      individual transactions

Davenport and Co. of Virginia, Inc.   Purchased  66,440 shares    1,458,588
                                      of Universal Stock at
                                      various   prices  in  a
                                      series  of  23
                                      individual transactions

Wheat, First Securities, Inc.         Purchased  53,500 shares    1,192,988
                                      of Universal Stock at
                                      various   prices  in  a
                                      series  of  24
                                      individual transactions

Signet Trust Co.                      Purchased   shares  of      4,263,516
                                      The  Virtus   Money
                                      Market  Fund  II  at
                                      $1/share   through  a
                                      series of 50 individual
                                      transactions

Signet Trust Co.                      Sold  shares  of The                     $4,394,735   $4,394,735   $4,394,735          $0
                                      Virtus  Money  Market
                                      Fund II at  $1/share
                                      through  a series  of
                                      128 individual
                                      transactions

</TABLE>


                                                                      Exhibit 23





                         CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS



We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement (Form
S-8 No. 33-21781)  pertaining to the Employees' Stock Purchase Plan of Universal
Leaf Tobacco Company,  Incorporated and Designated  Affiliated  Companies and in
the related  Prospectus  of our report dated June 25, 1996,  with respect to the
financial  statements  and schedules of the  Employees'  Stock  Purchase Plan of
Universal Leaf Tobacco Company, Incorporated and Designated Affiliated Companies
included in this Annual Report (Form 11-K) for the year ended December 31, 1995.




                                         /s/ Ernst & Young LLP



Richmond, Virginia

June 25, 1996




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