IMPERIAL TOBACCO SAYS PERFORMANCE MEETS FORECASTS
Imperial Tobacco Group Plc, Europe's second-largest publicly
traded cigarette maker, said its financial performance has
matched forecasts in the current fiscal year.
Imperial cited ``particularly strong performances'' by its
Davidoff, West and John Player Special brands in a statement
released today. The Bristol, England-based company, whose fiscal
year ends Sept. 30, didn't give its forecasts.
Tobacco companies have expanded in countries such as Russia,
Taiwan and Poland as western European consumption drops because
of higher taxes, prohibitions on advertising and smoking bans.
Imperial aims to complete its purchase of Altadis SA by
November, gaining access to markets such as Morocco and the
Middle East.
England banned smoking in public places in July, following
similar measures in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. The
bans led to an ``initial decline'' in cigarette-market volumes,
as expected, Imperial said in the statement.
