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Category: Business & Finance

  • PMI CEO Speaking at Barclays  

    PMI CEO Speaking at Barclays  

    Philip Morris International announced it will participate in the 2026 Barclays Global Consumer Conference on September 8, with Group CEO Jacek Olczak scheduled to take part in a live fireside chat at approximately 9:45 a.m. ET. The session will be webcast live, with an archived version available for six months following the event.  

    The appearance will provide investors and the broader market with an opportunity to hear directly from PMI’s CEO on the company’s business outlook and strategic priorities. The webcast will be accessible through PMI’s investor relations platform and its mobile IR app.  

  • KT&G Partners with Lamborghini on 3-Second HTP 

    KT&G Partners with Lamborghini on 3-Second HTP 

    KT&G announced it is partnering with the Italian high-end lifestyle brand to launch the Lil Tonino Lamborghini heated tobacco device in South Korea on Sept. 15, featuring new “flashwave heating technology” that uses microwaves to heat the stick internally. Its three-second preheating time is more than five times faster than existing products. 

    The premium device features a full-metal aluminum body, color display, and dedicated interface showing heating status, battery level, and remaining puffs. It will be offered in four colors, with sales through 8,300 Seoul convenience stores and Lil’s online and flagship stores. 

    KT&G will also introduce five dedicated NAU stick variants. The launch marks the first major Lil brand platform update since 2022, as KT&G seeks to strengthen its position in next-generation tobacco products. 

  • Altria Adds Refresco Executive to Board

    Altria Adds Refresco Executive to Board

    Altria Group Inc. announced that it elected Steven W. Presley to its board of directors, effective Aug. 27. Presley has served as CEO of Refresco Benelux B.V., a global beverage solutions provider, since August 2025. He previously held several senior positions at Nestlé S.A., including CEO of Zone Americas from October 2024 to April 2025 and CEO of Zone North America from 2021 to 2024. Presley joined Nestlé USA in 1997 and held roles including CEO, CFO, and chief transformation officer. At Altria, he will serve on the Compensation and Talent Development; Innovation; and Finance committees.

  • Altria Increases Quarterly Dividend to $1.11 Per Share

    Altria Increases Quarterly Dividend to $1.11 Per Share

    Altria Group, Inc. today (Aug. 27) announced that its Board of Directors voted to increase its regular quarterly dividend by 4.7% to $1.11 per share versus the previous rate of $1.06 per share.The quarterly dividend is payable on October 9 to shareholders of record as of September 15.

    The new annualized dividend rate is $4.44 per share, representing a dividend yield of 6.4% based on a closing stock price of $69.12 on August 26.

    Altria said today’s dividend increase is consistent with its progressive dividend goal that targets mid-single-digit dividend per share growth annually through 2028. This increase marks the 61st dividend increase in the past 57 years.

  • Japan Tobacco to Receive $1.6B Dividend from Subsidiary

    Japan Tobacco to Receive $1.6B Dividend from Subsidiary

    Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT) announced that it will receive a $1.55 billion (¥252 billion) dividend from its consolidated subsidiary JT International Holding B.V. following a decision by the subsidiary’s board Aug. 24. The dividend was scheduled for receipt Aug. 26 and will be recorded as non-operating income in JT’s nonconsolidated financial statements for fiscal 2026. Because the payment comes from a consolidated subsidiary, JT said it will have no material impact on its consolidated financial results.

  • Article Examines Move Toward Higher-Strength Pouches

    Article Examines Move Toward Higher-Strength Pouches

    An article published today (Aug. 27) by Financial Times reports that major tobacco companies are accelerating their push into higher-strength nicotine pouches as competition intensifies in the U.S. market, valued at about $5.2 billion. Higher-strength products now account for 17% of U.S. pouch volumes, according to Stifel analyst Matt Smith, with Philip Morris International’s 11mg Zyn Ultra becoming the highest-strength nicotine pouch cleared by the FDA. BAT plans to launch Velo Max in 8mg and 12mg strengths, while Altria is preparing a national expansion of its 12mg On! Plus.

    Nearly 21 billion pouches were sold in the U.S. last year, according to Euromonitor, while smokeless nicotine product sales increased more than 8% in the first half of 2026 as cigarette sales declined 2.4%, according to NielsenIQ and Goldman Sachs. The companies are also expanding strength and format options as consumers develop preferences for stronger and higher-moisture products, with the FDA’s recent regulatory changes facilitating faster product introductions.

  • Riot Labs Cites Cochrane Review Against UK Vape Packaging Plans

    Riot Labs Cites Cochrane Review Against UK Vape Packaging Plans

    British e-liquid manufacturer Riot Labs is citing a new Cochrane review showing that nicotine e-cigarettes produce higher six-month quit rates than nicotine replacement therapy. The review analyzed 80 randomized trials involving nearly 30,000 smokers and found high-certainty evidence that nicotine vapes outperform patches and gum, according to the company.

    Riot CEO Ben Johnson said the findings highlight a gap between evidence and public perceptions of vaping, while warning that proposed UK restrictions on vape packaging, appearance and displays could undermine switching from cigarettes. The company noted that the review’s authors specifically advised consumers seeking to quit with e-cigarettes to use products tested and approved by their country’s regulator.

    Riot said it will cite the Cochrane findings in its response to the Department of Health and Social Care’s consultation on vape packaging, which closes Oct. 2. The company is calling for a three-tier retailer licensing system that would include enhanced requirements for shops accessible to children and a separate category for age-restricted specialist vape retailers.

  • Scandinavian Reports Stable First-Half Sales

    Scandinavian Reports Stable First-Half Sales

    Scandinavian Tobacco Group reported net sales of DKK 4.19 billion ($670 million) for the first half of 2026, down 3% year over year, including a 3% negative impact from currency movements. Organic sales at constant currencies declined 0.3%, while handmade cigars grew 6%. Machine-rolled cigars and smoking tobacco declined 4%, while the company said its XQS nicotine pouch business continues to expand into new markets and menthol products.

    EBITDA before special items rose 2% to DKK 835 million ($133.6 million), while EBIT before special items fell 2% to DKK 581 million ($93 million). Free cash flow before acquisitions increased 53% to DKK 422 million ($67.5 million). The company said its strategic Focus2030 program is progressing and expects the planned DKK 1.3 billion ($208 million) divestment of the BREAK and Moro fine-cut tobacco brands to close before year-end.

    Scandinavian Tobacco Group maintained its 2026 guidance, forecasting constant-currency net sales growth of -2% to 2%, an EBIT margin before special items of 13% to 14.5%, free cash flow before acquisitions of DKK 950 million ($152 million) to DKK 1.2 billion ($192 million), and adjusted EPS of DKK 9 to DKK 11 ($1.44 to $1.76).

  • AIR Shareholders Approve $52.5M Share Repurchase

    AIR Shareholders Approve $52.5M Share Repurchase

    AIR Global announced that its shareholders approved all proposals at an Aug. 24 extraordinary general meeting, including a $52.5 million repurchase of 5 million ordinary shares from Harraden Circle Investors and related entities at $10.49 per share.

    The meeting also approved amendments to the company’s articles of association concerning notices of general meetings.

    Shareholders also authorized the company to conduct future share repurchases through off-market transactions and open-market purchases. AIR said it has no additional repurchases currently planned beyond the Harraden transaction.

  • JT Earns Platinum Kurumin Plus Certification

    JT Earns Platinum Kurumin Plus Certification

    Japan Tobacco Inc. received Japan’s “Platinum Kurumin Plus” certification for workplace initiatives supporting employees who are balancing infertility treatment with work. The certification is awarded by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare to companies recognized for advanced childcare support and efforts to accommodate infertility treatment.

    JT has supported work-family balance through childcare and nursing care programs and workplace improvements. The company received its first Kurumin certification in 2008 and was recognized as a Platinum Kurumin company in 2018.

    JT said it has expanded its employee health initiatives to address issues including menstrual symptoms, menopause, fertility, and gender-specific cancers. The latest certification recognizes its efforts to create a workplace where employees can pursue infertility treatment while continuing their careers.