UNIVERSAL CORP /VA/
8-K, 1999-05-07
FARM PRODUCT RAW MATERIALS
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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                                   -----------


                                    FORM 8-K


                                 CURRENT REPORT


                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934


                         Date of Report: April 23, 1999
                        (Date of earliest event reported)



                              UNIVERSAL CORPORATION
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)



          Virginia                        1-652                   54-0414210
(State or Other Jurisdiction     (Commission File Number)       (IRS Employer
      of Incorporation)                                      Identification No.)


           1501 North Hamilton Street
               Richmond, Virginia                            23230
    (Address of Principal Executive Offices)              (Zip Code)


               Registrant's telephone number, including area code:
                                 (804) 359-9311


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<PAGE>


Item 5.      Other Events.

         Change in Transfer Agent. Effective April 23, 1999, Wachovia Bank, N.A.
("Wachovia") has withdrawn as Transfer Agent,  Registrar,  Dividend Paying Agent
and Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan Administrator for Universal Corporation
(the "Company"). By an agreement effective as of April 23, 1999, the Company has
appointed  Norwest Bank  Minnesota,  N.A.  ("Norwest") to serve as the Company's
Transfer Agent,  Registrar,  Dividend  Disbursing  Agent and Automatic  Dividend
Reinvestment Plan Administrator.

         Amendment to Rights  Agreement.  In connection  with the  withdrawal by
Wachovia as the Company's Transfer Agent,  Registrar,  Dividend Paying Agent and
Automatic Dividend  Reinvestment Plan Administrator,  the Company,  Wachovia and
Norwest  have entered  into a First  Amendment,  dated as of April 23, 1999 (the
"First  Amendment"),  to the Rights  Agreement dated as of December 3, 1998 (the
"Rights Agreement") between the Company and Wachovia,  as Rights Agent. Pursuant
to the First  Amendment,  Wachovia has withdrawn as Rights Agent and the Company
has  appointed  Norwest to serve as a  successor  to the Rights  Agent under the
Rights  Agreement.  The First  Amendment is attached hereto as an exhibit and is
incorporated herein by reference.


Item 7.      Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits.

      (c)    Exhibits.

             No.            Description

             4.1            First Amendment to the Rights Agreement, dated as of
                            April 23, 1999, between the Company,  Wachovia Bank,
                            N.A., as Rights Agent,  and Norwest Bank  Minnesota,
                            N.A., as Successor Rights Agent.





                                      -2-
<PAGE>

                                   SIGNATURES

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



                               UNIVERSAL CORPORATION
                               (Registrant)



Date:  May 7, 1999             By: /s/ James M. White, III                 
                                   ---------------------------------------------
                                   James M. White, III
                                   Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary






<PAGE>

                                  Exhibit Index
                                  -------------


Exhibit
Number              Document
- ------              --------

4.1                 First Amendment to the Rights  Agreement,  dated as of April
                    23,  1999,  between the Company,  Wachovia  Bank,  N.A.,  as
                    Rights Agent, and Norwest Bank Minnesota, N.A., as Successor
                    Rights Agent.




                                                                     Exhibit 4.1

                       FIRST AMENDMENT TO RIGHTS AGREEMENT


         THIS FIRST AMENDMENT ("Amendment") to the Rights Agreement, dated as of
December 3, 1998 (the "Rights  Agreement"),  between  Universal  Corporation,  a
Virginia  corporation  (the  "Company"),  and Wachovia Bank, N.A., is made as of
this 23rd day of April,  1999 among the Company,  Wachovia Bank, N.A., as Rights
Agent (the "Rights  Agent"),  and Norwest  Bank  Minnesota,  N.A.,  as successor
Rights Agent (the "Successor Rights Agent").

         Pursuant  to Section 27 of the Rights  Agreement,  the Company may from
time to time  supplement or amend the Rights  Agreement in  accordance  with the
provisions  of  Section  27  thereof.  Pursuant  to  Section  21 of  the  Rights
Agreement,  if the Rights  Agent shall  resign or be removed or shall  otherwise
become incapable of acting,  the Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights
Agent.  The Rights Agent has informed  the Company that in  connection  with the
execution of this Amendment it wishes to withdraw as Rights Agent.  By executing
this  Amendment,  the Company accepts such withdrawal and appoints the Successor
Rights  Agent to serve as a  successor  to the  Rights  Agent  under the  Rights
Agreement,  as amended by this  Amendment.  By  executing  this  Amendment,  the
Successor Rights Agent accepts such appointment and agrees to assume all duties,
responsibilities and obligations as Rights Agent under the Rights Agreement,  as
amended by this Amendment.  All acts and things necessary to make this Amendment
a valid  agreement,  enforceable  according  to its  terms,  have  been done and
performed,  and the execution and delivery of this Amendment by the Company, the
Rights  Agent and the  Successor  Rights  Agent have been in all  respects  duly
authorized by the Company, the Rights Agent and the Successor Rights Agent.

<PAGE>

         In consideration  of the foregoing and the mutual  agreements set forth
herein, the parties hereto agree as follows:

         1.       As of the effective date of this  Amendment,  the Rights Agent
withdraws  as Rights  Agent  under the  Rights  Agreement,  as  amended  by this
Amendment.

         2.       The Company  hereby  appoints  the  Successor  Rights Agent to
serve as the  successor  to the  Rights  Agent  under the Rights  Agreement,  as
amended by this  Amendment.  The  Successor  Rights  Agent  hereby  accepts such
appointment and assumes all duties,  responsibilities  and obligations as Rights
Agent under the Rights Agreement, as amended by this Amendment.

         3.       Section  26 of the Rights  Agreement  is hereby  modified  and
amended to read in its entirety as follows:

                  Section 26.  Notices.  Notices or demands  authorized  by this
         Agreement  to be given or made by the Rights  Agent or by the holder of
         any Right Certificate to or on the Company shall be sufficiently  given
         or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid,  addressed (until
         another address is filed in writing with the Rights Agent) as follows:

                              Universal Corporation
                              P.O. Box 25099
                              1501 North Hamilton Street
                              Richmond, Virginia 23260
                              Attention: Corporate Secretary

         Subject to the  provisions  of Section 21 hereof,  any notice or demand
         authorized  by this  Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by
         the holder of any Right  Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be
         sufficiently  given  or  made  if sent  by  first-class  mail,  postage
         prepaid,  addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the
         Company) as follows:

<PAGE>

                              Norwest Bank Minnesota, N.A.
                              161 N. Concord Exchange
                              South St. Paul, MN  55075
                              Attention:  Barb Novak

         Notices or demands  authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by
         the Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Right  Certificate
         shall  be  sufficiently  given  or made if  sent by  first-class  mail,
         postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such holder
         as shown on the registry books of the Company. 

         4.       This  Amendment to the Rights  Agreement  shall be governed by
and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

         5.       This Amendment to the Rights  Agreement may be executed in any
number  of  counterparts,   each  of  which  shall  be  an  original,  but  such
counterparts  shall together  constitute one and the same instrument.  Terms not
defined herein shall, unless the context otherwise  requires,  have the meanings
assigned to such terms in the Rights Agreement.

         6.       In all respects not inconsistent with the terms and provisions
of this  Amendment  to the  Rights  Agreement,  the Rights  Agreement  is hereby
ratified,  adopted,  approved and confirmed.  In executing and  delivering  this
Amendment,  the Rights Agent and the Successor Rights Agent shall be entitled to
all the privileges  and immunities  afforded to the Rights Agent under the terms
and conditions of the Rights Agreement.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to be
duly executed and attested, all as of the date and year first above written.

Attest:                                    UNIVERSAL CORPORATION



By: /s/                                    By: /s/
    -----------------------------              ----------------------------- 

<PAGE>

Attest:                                    WACHOVIA BANK, N.A.



/s/                                        By: /s/
- ---------------------------------              ----------------------------- 

Attest:                                    NORWEST BANK MINNESOTA, N.A.



/s/                                        By: /s/
- ---------------------------------              ----------------------------- 




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