Imperial Brands stock gains 1.54% before November 17 results

Imperial Brands' October 8 pre-close trading update kept the tobacco group on track for its fiscal 2026 targets and set the stage for full-year results on November 17. The company said adjusted operating profit growth should remain within its 3% to 5% guidance range, while adjusted earnings per share should rise at a high-single-digit rate.

The company's pre-close trading update also pointed to low-single-digit tobacco net revenue growth, supported by pricing and market-share gains in the United States and Germany. Low-single-digit group volume declines are expected to partly offset that progress.

Buyback adds to capital returns

Imperial Brands expects next-generation products to deliver double-digit net revenue growth, with gains across heated tobacco, vape and modern oral products. It also expects more than 2.2 billion pounds of free cash flow for fiscal 2026.

The group completed a 1.45 billion pound repurchase for fiscal 2026 and announced a further 1.5 billion pound buyback for fiscal 2027. Imperial Brands expects the new programme to finish no later than October 29, 2027, while its transformation plan targets at least 320 million pounds of savings by 2030.

The real-time quote of Imperial Brands stock traded at 36.36 euros on Lang & Schwarz at 13:38 CET on Thursday, November 5, 1.54 percent above the Xetra close of Wednesday, November 4.

The DAX market environment remains a reference point for investors tracking European equities.

More news and analyses on Imperial Brands stock will follow as the November 17 results approach.