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Category: Business & Finance

  • Japan Tobacco to Announce Third-Quarter Results Oct. 29

    Japan Tobacco to Announce Third-Quarter Results Oct. 29

    Japan Tobacco Inc. will announce its fiscal 2026 third-quarter financial results on Oct. 29 at 3:30 p.m. Japan time. The company will distribute results materials to the press by email and will not hold a press conference.

    JT will hold an investor briefing via Zoom from 5 to 6 p.m. Japan time on Oct. 29. Members of the press may attend but are asked not to speak during the question-and-answer session. Advance registration is required through the Zoom webinar registration page. An on-demand recording will be available through JT’s webcast page.

  • Altria to Report Third-Quarter Results Oct. 29

    Altria to Report Third-Quarter Results Oct. 29

    Altria Group will release its 2026 third-quarter and nine-month financial results at approximately 7 a.m. ET on Oct. 29, followed by a live audio webcast at 9 a.m. CEO Sal Mancuso and CFO Heather Newman will discuss the results and answer questions from investors and news media. The webcast requires advance registration and will be available in archived form afterward.

    The webcast and registration instructions are available at altria.com and www.altria.com/webcasts.

  • JT Group’s Habee App Wins 2026 Good Design Award

    JT Group’s Habee App Wins 2026 Good Design Award

    Japan Tobacco (JT) Group’s habit-building smartphone app Habee has received the 2026 Good Design Award from the Japan Institute of Design Promotion. The app is part of JT Group’s Momentia digital platform and is the second consecutive year a Momentia ID-compatible app has won the award, following the mental wellness app beSelf in 2025.

    Habee uses team-based challenges, daily progress tracking, photos, comments, and peer support to encourage users to develop habits and achieve goals. The award recognized its intuitive interface and design intended to help users maintain habits. JT Group said Momentia also includes digital services and online shopping, with a shared ID for eligible services. A registration campaign tied to the award is scheduled to run through Nov. 22.

  • PMI to Report Third-Quarter Results Oct. 21

    PMI to Report Third-Quarter Results Oct. 21

    Philip Morris International will release its 2026 third-quarter and first nine-month financial results at approximately 7 a.m. ET on Oct. 21, followed by a live audio webcast at 9 a.m. ET hosted by Group Chief Financial Officer Massimo Andolina. The webcast will include a discussion of financial results and a question-and-answer session with the investment community. The presentation, recording, and supporting materials will be available on the company’s investor relations website.

  • JTI Expands Oral Nicotine Portfolio With PERLZ

    JTI Expands Oral Nicotine Portfolio With PERLZ

    Japan Tobacco International has expanded its alternative-nicotine portfolio in the United Kingdom with PERLZ, a dissolvable oral nicotine product available in Mint and Berry flavors and in two nicotine strengths. The product adds another format alongside conventional nicotine pouches as tobacco companies expand their offerings beyond combustible cigarettes.

    The launch adds to JTI’s broader investment in alternative nicotine products and its efforts to develop new categories for adult nicotine consumers. PERLZ also expands the range of oral nicotine formats competing for shelf space in the U.K. market.

  • China to End Export VAT Rebates for Vape Products

    China to End Export VAT Rebates for Vape Products

    China will end value-added tax (VAT) export rebates for specified electronic cigarette devices, nicotine, nicotine salts, and certain other inhalation products effective April 1, 2027, under a policy announced by the Ministry of Finance and State Taxation Administration. The measure affects designated product categories and customs codes.

    The change could increase export costs for Chinese manufacturers and suppliers serving international vaping and nicotine markets by eliminating rebates previously available on eligible exports. The impact will depend on the products covered, manufacturers’ cost structures, and their ability to adjust pricing or supply chains.

  • PMI Forum Highlights Smoke-Free Alternatives in Asia, Latin America

    PMI Forum Highlights Smoke-Free Alternatives in Asia, Latin America

    Philip Morris International (PMI) convened its first Central Asian Technovation forum in Tashkent, bringing together government officials, scientists, doctors, business leaders, and consumer advocates from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Russia to discuss the role of smoke-free alternatives in tobacco policy. PMI representatives cited Japan, Sweden, and the United States as examples of markets where alternatives such as heated-tobacco products, snus, and nicotine pouches have been associated with declining cigarette use.

    PMI’s Dr. Tomoko Iida said cigarette sales in Japan fell by more than half between 2011 and 2023, while daily smoking in Sweden declined to 3.7% in 2025. Speakers also discussed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s reviews of certain tobacco and nicotine products, the importance of evidence-based regulation, and the risks of illicit trade. Participants emphasized that quitting smoking remains the preferred outcome, while arguing that adult smokers who do not quit should have access to accurate information about alternatives. Uzbekistan’s State Customs Committee reported reducing the illicit share of the tobacco market to about 7% and seizing more than 3 million illicit cigarette packs this year.

    Also:

    PMI Highlights Smoke-Free Products in Latin America

    Philip Morris International highlighted its smoke-free portfolio at its Technovation 2026 event in Buenos Aires on Oct. 7–8, showcasing IQOS heated-tobacco products and ZYN nicotine pouches. PMI Chief Global Growth Officer Stefano Volpetti said smoke-free products account for more than 7% of the market in Mexico City. Argentina lifted its prohibition on heated-tobacco products in May and introduced product-registration requirements, opening a regulated path for their sale.

    A PMI-commissioned survey found that only 8% of respondents across four Latin American countries were familiar with nicotine pouches, indicating limited consumer awareness of the category in the markets surveyed. The company’s regional strategy includes expanding its smoke-free product portfolio as regulatory frameworks and market access evolve across Latin America.

  • JTI to Increase Heated-Tobacco Investment by 60%

    JTI to Increase Heated-Tobacco Investment by 60%

    Japan Tobacco International plans to invest ¥800 billion (about €4.5 billion) in heated-tobacco products from 2026 through 2028, a 60% increase over the previous three-year period, according to Spanish business newspaper Cinco Días. The investment is intended to expand the company’s Ploom brand and strengthen its position against Philip Morris International’s IQOS.

    JTI is targeting an average 15% market share across the 29 markets where Ploom operates, with Poland and Italy among its priorities. The investment comes as major tobacco companies expand smoke-free product portfolios and compete for share in heated-tobacco markets.

  • Imperial Targets FY26 Growth, Announces £1.5B Buyback

    Imperial Targets FY26 Growth, Announces £1.5B Buyback

    Imperial Brands expects to meet its FY26 guidance across all key metrics, with tobacco net revenue projected to grow by a low single-digit percentage and next-generation product (NGP) net revenue by double digits. The company said it expects adjusted operating profit growth within its 3% to 5% guidance range, high-single-digit adjusted earnings per share growth, and more than £2.2 billion in free cash flow. Tobacco revenue growth is expected to be driven by pricing and market share gains in the U.S. and Germany, partially offset by low-single-digit volume declines.

    Imperial said it expects share gains across heated tobacco, vaping, and modern oral products. The company also said it is on track to achieve at least £320 million in savings by 2030. Imperial completed its £1.45 billion FY26 share repurchase and announced a further £1.5 billion buyback for FY27, which it expects to complete by Oct. 29, 2027. The company will report full-year results for the year ended Sept. 30 on Nov. 17.

  • BAT Bangladesh Appoints Corporate Affairs Head

    BAT Bangladesh Appoints Corporate Affairs Head

    BAT Bangladesh PLC has appointed Momshad Ali Khan as head of corporate and regulatory affairs, effective Oct. 1, 2026. Khan has more than 20 years of experience in corporate affairs, government relations, regulatory strategy, stakeholder engagement, and strategic communications.

    Before joining BAT Bangladesh, Khan was director of public affairs, communications, and sustainability at Coca-Cola Bangladesh and previously served as head of corporate and fiscal affairs at JT International Bangladesh. He also spent more than a decade at Chevron Bangladesh.