(IMT.L) Imperial Tobacco Group PLC Buy/Sell

RNS Number : 8824G Imperial Tobacco Finance PLC 09 February 2010

Publication of a Supplement

The following supplement (the Supplement) to the prospectus (the Prospectus) dated 17 December 2009 has been approved by the UK Listing Authority and is available for viewing:

Supplement dated 9 February 2010, to the Prospectus dated 17 December 2009 relating to the EUR15,000,000,000 Debt Issuance Programme of Imperial Tobacco Finance PLC irrevocably and unconditionally guaranteed by Imperial Tobacco Group PLC

To view the full document, please paste the following URL into the address bar of your browser.

Supplement

http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/8824G_-2010-2-9.pdf

Interim Management Statement dated 2 February 2010

http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/prices-and-news/news/market-news/mar ket-news-detail.html?announcementId=10362330

DISCLAIMER - INTENDED ADDRESSEES

Please note that the information contained in the Prospectus may be addressed to and/or targeted at persons who are residents of particular countries (specified in the Prospectus) only and is not intended for use and should not be relied upon by any person outside these countries and/or to whom the offer contained in the Prospectus is not addressed. Prior to relying on the information contained in the Prospectus, you must ascertain from the Prospectus whether or not you are part of the intended addressees of the information contained therein.

Your right to access this service is conditional upon complying with the above requirement.

This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

DOCEAFANEASEEFF

RNS Number : 7005G Imperial Tobacco Group PLC 04 February 2010

Document re Resolutions passed at Imperial Tobacco Group PLC's Annual General Meeting held on 2 February 2010.

A copy of the above Resolutions approved at the meeting has been submitted to the UK Listing Authority and will shortly be available for inspection at the UK Listing Authority Document Viewing Facility which is situated at:

Financial Services Authority

25 The North Colonnade

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5HS

T M Williams

Deputy Company Secretary

Telephone 0117 963 6636

Copies of our announcements are available on our website: www.imperial-tobacco.com

This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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RNS Number : 6358G Imperial Tobacco Group PLC 03 February 2010

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING RESULT

-------------------------------------------------------

The 2010 Annual General Meeting of Imperial Tobacco Group PLC was held at Bristol Marriott Hotel City Centre, 2 Lower Castle Street, Old Market, Bristol, BS1 3AD on Tuesday 2 February 2010 at 2.30 pm.

All resolutions were decided on a poll and all resolutions proposed at the Meeting were passed.

The number of votes for and against each of the resolutions put before the Meeting and the number of votes withheld were as follows:

Votes For Percentage Votes Against Votes Total Votes Withheld
Resolution For

1 Report and Accounts 737,603,053 99.96 306,993 737,910,046 1,264,521

2 Remuneration Report 688,470,364 96.45 25,344,554 713,814,918 25,359,699

3 Dividend 738,286,439 99.97 242,871 738,529,310 645,257

4 Re-elect K M Burnett 737,995,523 99.91 628,637 738,624,160 550,407

5 Re-elect J-D Comolli 677,988,987 91.79 60,637,489 738,626,476 548,091

6 Re-elect R Dyrbus 732,509,354 99.27 5,367,643 737,876,997 1,297,570

7 Re-elect C F Knott 700,498,070 94.84 38,123,623 738,621,693 552,874

8 Re-elect I J G 718,993,806 97.34 19,634,850 738,628,656 545,911

Napier
9 Reappoint Auditors 730,428,739 99.62 2,779,203 733,207,942 5,966,625

10 Remuneration of 735,885,687 99.73 1,978,497 737,864,184 1,310,383

Auditors
11 Donations to 718,328,647 97.70 16,873,979 735,202,626 3,971,941

political

organisations
12 Authority to allot 696,844,681 94.56 40,124,186 736,968,867 2,205,700
securities

13 Disapplication of 729,934,873 99.06 6,951,615 736,886,488 2,288,079
pre- emption

rights
14 Purchase of own 737,064,681 99.91 685,979 737,750,660 1,423,907

shares
15 Notice period for 721,217,754 97.68 17,122,327 738,340,081 834,486

General Meetings
16 Memorandum and 717,548,049 97.81 16,082,424 733,630,473 5,544,094

Articles of

Association

Notes

1. The 'For' vote includes those giving the Chairman discretion and the percentage is
rounded to two decimal places.

2. 'Votes withheld' are not counted when deciding whether or not a resolution is
carried.

3. Resolutions 13 to 16 are Special Resolutions.

4. The total number of Ordinary Shares in issue excluding shares held as Treasury
Shares as at 6.00pm on 31 January 2010 were 1,018,211,881.

T M Williams

Deputy Company Secretary

Telephone 0117 963 6636

Copies of our announcements are available on our website: www.imperial-tobacco.com

This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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RNS Number : 5121G
  Imperial Tobacco Group PLC
  02 February 2010
   

IMPERIAL TOBACCO GROUP PLC

INTERIM MANAGEMENT STATEMENT

Ahead of the Annual General Meeting to be held later today, Imperial Tobacco Group PLC (Imperial Tobacco) confirms that the overall performance and financial position of the Group for the financial year to 30 September 2010 is in line with the Board's expectations. 

Summarising today's announcement Gareth Davis, Chief Executive, will say:

"We have made a good start to the year with trading in line with our expectations despite the weak economic environment. 

"Cigarette volumes have been particularly strong in our Rest of European Union region and we have also maintained our growth momentum in our Rest of the World region with further cigarette share gains in Africa, the Middle East and Asia Pacific. Davidoff has grown share in its top five markets in our first quarter whilst both West and JPS have also performed well. 

"In fine cut tobacco we delivered strong volume growth in the UK, Germany and our Rest of European Union region.  

"We have increased prices across our portfolio in a number of markets since the start of the financial year including in the UK, Spain and France.

"In logistics we are showing improved results with the benefit of cost saving initiatives.

"Our ongoing focus on working capital and cash generation will enable us to further strengthen our balance sheet by continuing to reduce debt. This has been recognised with Moody's recently changing their credit rating outlook from "negative" to "stable". Our emphasis on cost optimisation and synergy delivery will continue and further advances in productivity will help in offsetting further world leaf inflation. Our focus on sales and the effective use of high levels of cash generation will ensure that we remain on track to create further sustainable shareholder value."

The following highlights of our trading performance relate to the three months ended 31 December 2009 unless otherwise stated. All market volumes and market shares are based on Imperial Tobacco estimates.

UK

In the UK for the year to December, the annual duty paid cigarette market increased by 1 per cent to 45.5 billion whilst duty paid fine cut tobacco market volumes grew by 21 per cent to 4,650 tonnes.

Our average cigarette share for the year to December was 45.2 per cent (year to September 2009: 45.3 per cent). On a monthly spot basis our share has been on an upward trend since July 2009 and stood at 45.6 per cent in December with JPS Silver reaching a spot share of 3.7 per cent. In the year to December our fine cut tobacco share was 57.1 per cent (year to September 2009: 58.0 per cent). We achieved strong volume growth with Gold Leaf and Golden Virginia Yellow continuing to perform well in the value segment. Last month we increased the recommended retail price of a pack of 20 cigarettes by an average of 27 pence, partly reflecting the rise in VAT on 1 January.

Further to yesterday's announcement of the UK government's Tobacco Control Strategy, we remain strongly opposed to the plain packaging of tobacco products. There is no credible evidence that young people start smoking or adult smokers continue to smoke because of tobacco packaging. Making all tobacco products available in the same generic plain packaging will further fuel the growth in illicit trade and undermine the government's plans to increase investment in tackling smuggling and counterfeiting.

Germany

In Germany, for the year to December, cigarette market volumes declined by 2 per cent to 85.5 billion and other tobacco products grew by 11 per cent to 37.8 billion cigarette equivalents. 

Our cigarette share in the year to December was 27.1 per cent (year to September 2009: 27.3 per cent) impacted by competitor activity surrounding the move in the minimum pack size from 17 to 19 cigarettes. JPS reached a share of 8.6 per cent (year to September 2009: 8.5 per cent) and in November we launched a soft pack variant which helped drive the brand's December cigarette spot share to 9.0 per cent. Our share of other tobacco products was stable at 19.6 per cent. 

Spain

In Spain, cigarette market volumes declined by an estimated 10 per cent to 80.7 billion in the year to December whilst fine cut tobacco market volumes grew 30 per cent to 5,150 tonnes. Since the duty on fine cut tobacco rose disproportionately to cigarettes in June 2009, the rate of growth has declined considerably and we have reduced our stock levels as a result. Our blonde cigarette share for the year to December was 30.1 per cent (year to September 2009: 30.6 per cent) with Ducados Rubio performing well. In January we increased the price of the majority of our brands by 15 cents per pack. We retained our leading position in fine cut tobacco in spite of ongoing weakness in travel retail volumes with Origenes doing well following its launch in October. In cigars, we saw some improvement in volumes in our first quarter. 

Rest of European Union

In our Rest of European Union region, French cigarette market volumes for the year to December rose by 3 per cent to 55.0 billion and our domestic blonde cigarette share was stable at 23.9 per cent. In November, we increased the prices of all our cigarette and fine cut tobacco brands by an average of 6 per cent and 7.5 per cent respectively.

Despite the difficult economic backdrop, elsewhere in the region we grew volumes in both cigarette and fine cut tobacco. Our performance in the EU accession countries in Central Europe was particularly strong with cigarette and fine cut tobacco share increases in the majority of markets.

Americas

In the USA, cigarette market volumes in the year to December declined by an estimated 9 per cent, largely as a result of the substantial increase in Federal Excise Taxes (FET) in April 2009. Our cigarette share was 4.1 per cent (year to September 2009: 4.2 per cent) and we raised prices by 60 cents a carton in October. Cigar volumes continue to be impacted by the FET increase but this has been largely mitigated with the benefit of price increases. 

Rest of the World

Although our Rest of the World regional volumes were temporarily affected by supply chain disruption in the Middle East, we continued to build sales and achieved cigarette share gains in the majority of markets.

In Africa and the Middle East we grew cigarette share in almost all of our markets. Fine improved volumes in the region with Gauloises Blondes performing well in Morocco.

In Eastern Europe, we improved our cigarette share in most markets with Davidoff performing particularly well and Maxim continuing its positive momentum in Russia. 

In Australia, JPS reached a spot share of 1.2 per cent in December following its launch in May 2009 whilst in Asia, we grew both cigarette volumes and shares in all our key markets in the region. 

Our premium Cuban cigar business continues to show signs of recovery especially in Asia Pacific and some Western European countries.

We have enhanced our growth potential in Asia with two agreements, signed in January:

(i)         A licence for the manufacture and sale of Davidoff in South Korea by KT&G; and 

(ii)        A framework agreement to establish a collaboration in cigars between China Tobacco Chuanyu Industrial Corporation and Imperial's American cigar business, Altadis USA.

Logistics

Our Logistics business made a good start to the year despite the continued macro-economic difficulties in Spain.

Enquiries

Gerry Gallagher (Director of Investor Communications)

Telephone: +44 (0) 117 933 7014

John Nelson-Smith (Investor Relations Manager)
Telephone: +44 (0) 117 933 7032

Alex Parsons (Head of Corporate Communications)
Telephone: +44 (0) 117 933 7241

Simon Evans (Group Press Officer)
Telephone: +44 (0) 117 933 7375

This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
 
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