UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): July 22, 2015

THE VALSPAR CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (612) 851-7000

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

On July 22, 2015, The Valspar Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“Valspar” or the “Company”), entered into an Underwriting Agreement with several underwriters represented by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., Wells Fargo Securities, LLC and U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. for the sale of $350,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 3.950% Senior Notes due 2026 (the “Notes”). The sale of the Notes was made pursuant to the Company’s shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-201521), filed with the SEC on January 15, 2015, together with a prospectus supplement dated July 22, 2015 and filed with the SEC on July 24, 2015 (the “Prospectus Supplement”).

The Notes were issued under an indenture (the “Base Indenture”), dated as of April 24, 2002, between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. (as successor to Bank One Trust Company, N.A.), as trustee, as most recently supplemented by a Sixth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of July 27, 2015, among the Company, The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. (as successor to Bank One Trust Company, N.A.) and U.S. Bank National Association, as series trustee (the “Supplemental Indenture”). The description of the terms of the Base Indenture, as supplemented by the Supplemental Indenture (as supplemented, the “Indenture”), is incorporated herein by reference to the disclosures contained in Item 2.03 below.

On July 27, 2015, the Company issued $350,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Senior Notes due 2026 pursuant to the Indenture. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Notes for the repayment of borrowings under its term loan credit facility, and for general corporate purposes.

The Notes will mature on January 15, 2026. Interest on the Notes will accrue from July 27, 2015 and will be payable on January 15 and July 15 of each year, beginning January 15, 2016. The Notes are unsecured and unsubordinated obligations and rank equally with all of the other unsecured and unsubordinated debt of the Company outstanding from time to time.

The Company may redeem the Notes, at any time in whole or from time to time in part, prior to October 15, 2025 (three months prior to their maturity date), at a redemption price equal to the greater of: (a) 100% of the principal amount of the Notes being redeemed; and (b) an amount equal to the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest on the Notes (not including any portion of such payments of interest accrued as of the date of redemption), discounted to the date of redemption on a semiannual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the treasury rate, plus 25 basis points, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but not including, the date of redemption. In addition, the Company may redeem the Notes at any time in whole or from time to time in part, prior to October 15, 2025 (three months prior to their maturity date), at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes being redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to,

but not including, the date of redemption. Finally, if the Company experiences a “change of control repurchase event” (which is defined in the Supplemental Indenture and involves a change in control and related rating of the Notes below investment grade), the Company may be required to offer to purchase the Notes at a purchase price equal to 101% of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest.

The Indenture contains certain covenants. These covenants restrict the Company’s ability to incur debt secured by liens or engage in certain sale-leaseback transactions. These covenants are, however, subject to significant exceptions. The Company is also subject to a covenant concerning consolidations, mergers and transfers of substantially all of the Company’s property and assets.

Terms of the Indenture and the Notes are more fully described in the section of the Prospectus Supplement entitled “Description of the Notes.” The description above is a summary and is qualified in its entirety by the Base Indenture and Supplemental Indenture, filed herewith as Exhibits 4.1 and 4.2 respectively and incorporated herein by this reference.

SIGNATURE

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

INDEX TO EXHIBITS