TobaccoReporter logo

Category: Business & Finance

  • Turning Point Reports 31% Profit Increase for FY25

    Turning Point Reports 31% Profit Increase for FY25

    Turning Point Brands, Inc. reported strong growth in Q4 2025, driven by its Modern Oral category, which saw net sales surge 266% to $41.3 million, now accounting for 34% of total company net sales compared with 12% in Q4 2024. Total consolidated net sales rose 29.2% to $121.0 million, with Stoker’s segment up 69.5% and Zig-Zag segment down 12.8%. Adjusted EBITDA increased 14% to $30.0 million, while net income climbed 239.8% to $8.2 million. For the full year, consolidated net sales rose 28.4% to $463.1 million, with net income up 46.1% to $58.2 million and adjusted EBITDA up 14.4% to $119.5 million. CEO Graham Purdy highlighted strong performance from FRE and ALP brands, emphasizing Modern Oral as a key driver for long-term category share growth while legacy brands continue to generate reliable cash flows.

    The company said it is well-prepared for FY 2026, expecting Modern Oral gross revenue of $220–$240 million and net revenue of $180–$190 million, with Q1 2026 adjusted EBITDA projected at $24–$27 million, inclusive of marketing and trade investments. Stoker’s segment continues to lead sales at 67% of the total, driven by triple-digit Modern Oral growth, while Zig-Zag’s 33% contribution reflects declines due to the planned wind-down of Clipper products. TPB has strengthened operational systems, including digital tracking and FDA compliance support, and maintains liquidity of $290.1 million, comprising $222.8 million in cash and $68.1 million in asset-backed credit.

  • Ethical Holdings to Produce 8M Cigarettes per Month

    Ethical Holdings to Produce 8M Cigarettes per Month

    Zimbabwe’s Ethical Holdings will begin producing cigarettes under a toll manufacturing arrangement with a Chinese partner, a move aimed at boosting local beneficiation and maximizing export earnings from the golden leaf. The initiative aligns with the government’s Tobacco Value Chain Transformation Plan, which emphasizes shifting from raw leaf exports to high-value local manufacturing.

    Already a major player in tobacco farming and leaf processing, Ethical Holdings will produce 8 million sticks per month, marking its transition into a fully integrated tobacco company controlling the full value chain from primary production and auctioning to finished products. General Manager Tendai Ngongoni said the move supports national value-addition goals.

  • KT&G to Launch ‘Reel Able 3.0’ in Seoul

    KT&G to Launch ‘Reel Able 3.0’ in Seoul

    KT&G said it will introduce its latest cigarette-type heated tobacco device, the Reel Able 3.0, tomorrow (Feb. 28) at four locations in the Seoul metropolitan area. The new model features significantly reduced charging and preheating times, with a full charge completed in about one hour — half the time of its predecessor — and a preheating time shortened by 10 seconds.

    The device retains key Reel Able functions such as pause during use, selectable usage modes and support for three consecutive sessions. For the first time in the series, KT&G has applied metal materials and curved edges to enhance grip and design, alongside an AMOLED display showing remaining usage counts and mode settings. Reel Able 3.0 will debut in four colors, with Oud Gray and Platinum Silver released first at a retail price of 68,000 won ($47). The company said the launch supports its strategy to reinforce leadership in the heated tobacco segment through differentiated product upgrades.

  • Altria Declares $1.06 Quarterly Dividend

    Altria Declares $1.06 Quarterly Dividend

    Altria Group, Inc. today (Feb. 26) announced that its Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly dividend of $1.06 per share, payable on April 30, to shareholders of record as of March 25. The ex-dividend date is March 25.

  • Turning Point Brands Increases Stock Dividend

    Turning Point Brands Increases Stock Dividend

    The Board of Directors of Turning Point Brands, Inc. declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.08 per common share. This is a 7% increase over the regular quarter dividend declared in November 2025. The dividend is payable on April 10, to shareholders of record on the close of business on March 20.

  • KT&G First to Cancel Shares Under Revised Act

    KT&G First to Cancel Shares Under Revised Act

    KT&G said it will cancel 10.9 million treasury shares worth approximately 2 trillion won ($1.4 billion), becoming the first company to act under South Korea’s newly revised Commercial Act requiring the retirement of treasury stock within set deadlines. The board-approved cancellation, equal to about 9.5% of outstanding shares, will be put to shareholders on March 26 alongside bylaw amendments to strengthen governance, including provisions for electronic shareholder meetings and expanded audit committee representation. The move builds on KT&G’s 3.7 trillion won ($2.6 billion) shareholder return program launched in 2024, under which the company has already retired 19.2 million shares and returned more than 2.3 trillion won ($1.6 billion) through dividends and buybacks.

  • Atlas IoT Gets USPTO Grant for Age-Restricted Vape Technology

    Atlas IoT Gets USPTO Grant for Age-Restricted Vape Technology

    Atlas IoT announced that it secured a patent grant from the United States Patent and Trademark Office for an age-restricted device and system designed for electronic nicotine delivery systems, positioning the technology as a potential pathway to strengthen regulatory compliance and support broader adult-focused flavor approvals. The company’s standalone system uses AI-powered age verification to confirm users are 21 or older without requiring app downloads or storing personal data, followed by a one-time thumbprint enrollment that serves as the device’s unlocking mechanism. A secondary bioimpedance sensor embedded in the mouthpiece is designed to prevent use by minors, creating a dual-verification process intended to block unauthorized access.

    Atlas IoT said it has requested a Q-Submission meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to discuss a Component Premarket Tobacco Product Application covering the device’s core technology, with plans to partner with e-liquid manufacturers that would file their own PMTAs for compliant flavored pods. The company also emphasized domestic manufacturing and FDA-registered filling operations for its replaceable pods, contrasting its compliance-focused model with the illicit disposable vape market. Atlas IoT said that, if authorized, its platform could establish a new standard for age-restricted ENDS products in the regulated U.S. market.

  • 22nd Century Reports Momentum for VLN Products

    22nd Century Reports Momentum for VLN Products

    22nd Century Group touted early sales momentum for its VLN low-nicotine cigarettes, distributing approximately 8,800 cartons to about 1,700 new retail outlets nationwide in the fourth quarter of 2025, with initial sell-through data indicating growing adoption across its 22nd Century VLN, Pinnacle VLN, and Smoker Friendly VLN brands. The company said expanding retail placement across convenience stores, wholesalers, and independent chains supports its plan to exceed 5,000 points of distribution in 2026.

    22nd Century positioned its progress alongside regulatory developments, including a January 2025 proposed rule by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to cap nicotine levels in cigarettes at 0.7 mg per gram of tobacco, and broader global support for nicotine reduction under the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

  • Imperial Introduces Creamy Tobacco Flavor for Blu

    Imperial Introduces Creamy Tobacco Flavor for Blu

    Imperial Brands officially launched its new Creamy Tobacco flavor, bringing the total number of options in the blu portfolio to 16. Priced at £5.99, the new variant will be available across the blu bar kit and pod pack ranges and is designed to offer a rich tobacco taste with a smooth, creamy finish. First announced in December, the company said the addition responds to continued demand for tobacco-flavored vape products and is intended to create further sales opportunities for UK retailers.

  • 22nd Century Sees 28% Revenue Drop in Preliminary Report

    22nd Century Sees 28% Revenue Drop in Preliminary Report

    22nd Century Group, Inc. reported preliminary, unaudited results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2025, showing continued losses but improved operating metrics and a debt-free balance sheet. The company expects Q4 net revenues of about $3.6 million, down from $4 million in Q3, with full-year revenues of approximately $17.6 million versus $24.4 million in 2024. Fourth-quarter gross loss is projected at $0.8 million, with an operating loss of $2.8 million and net loss from continuing operations of $2.8 million; full-year net loss from continuing operations is expected to narrow to $13.1 million from $15.5 million in 2024. Carton shipments totaled roughly 0.3 million in Q4 and 2.1 million for the year, flat year over year. The company ended 2025 with $7.1 million in cash, no long-term debt after extinguishing its senior secured obligations, and inventory of $4.3 million following harvest of its reduced nicotine tobacco crop. Management said it is focused on expanding distribution of its VLN brands, maintaining cost discipline and advancing toward profitability. The company plans to release its final numbers March 31.