Trading Statement

RNS Number : 7512N

Imperial Brands PLC

26 September 2019

 

IMPERIAL BRANDS PLC

26 September 2019

Pre-Close Trading update

Imperial Brands PLC today announces that, in light of a challenging NGP market in the USA and changes to our results expectations in the Africa, Asia and Australasia (AAA) division, Group net revenue for the year to 30 September 2019 is now expected to grow at around 2%, with EPS expected to be broadly flat at constant currencies.

Whilst this is disappointing for the current year, we believe that NGP provides a significant opportunity to deliver additive growth to complement our Tobacco business. We continue to refine our investment behind building a strong and profitable NGP business in a rapidly evolving market.

Next Generation Products

We expect our overall NGP business will grow net revenue by around 50% this year, albeit below our expectations.

The USA NGP environment has deteriorated considerably over the last quarter with increased regulatory uncertainty, including individual US state actions.  This has prompted a marked slowdown in the growth of the vapour category in recent weeks, with an increasing number of wholesalers and retailers not ordering or not allowing promotion of vaping products.

As highlighted in May, we stepped up our retail engagement programmes in the USA in the second half, alongside a significant increase in brand investment and stronger consumer promotions. This has delivered improving consumer off-take for blu, albeit less than expected, reflecting the slowdown in the US vapour category combined with increased competitor discounting. This has impacted overall Group revenues and profitability.

In Europe and Japan, we are delivering good year-on-year growth, although following a successful build-out across our markets at the beginning of the year, second half sales in Europe are expected to be at a similar level to the first half. We have also made good progress with the roll-out of other next generation products including a successful city pilot of our heated tobacco product Pulze in Japan and the launch of oral nicotine products in several European markets.

We continue to focus on managing the operational and regulatory challenges associated with a rapidly evolving category with a particular focus on recent USA developments and their potential impact on other NGP markets.

Tobacco

Our Tobacco business continues to perform well, delivering low single digit revenue growth and higher tobacco operating profit.

We are delivering good performances in Europe and the Americas, which will more than offset tougher trading conditions in the AAA division. In particular, we increased investment behind share in Australia in a highly competitive environment, utilising a benefit from duty paid inventory around the September excise increase. However, the realisation of this benefit has been rephased into the next financial year, resulting in a stronger AAA divisional performance expected in 2020.

Financial performance

We expect the results will benefit from c.£30m of other gains this year, compared with £80m last year.

Translation FX at current rate of exchange is expected to benefit earnings by c. 2%.

We are making good progress with our current cost optimisation programme, which will realise annual savings of £300 million by September 2020.

Given the evolving environment, we are also evaluating the effectiveness of our NGP supply chain, which may result in contract termination costs that are not included in our revised expectations.

Underlying cash conversion remains in line with previous guidance.

On Wednesday 25 September, we completed the transaction with Auxly Cannabis Group Inc. As previously announced, we have invested C$123 million by way of a debenture, convertible into 19.9% ownership of Auxly.

Divestment Programme

The divestment of our premium cigar business is progressing well and has generated strong interest from a number of potential buyers. We remain on track to realise proceeds of up to £2 billion from our disposal programme before May 2020.

ENDS

Investor Contacts		Media Contacts
Peter Durman	[phone]	Alex Parsons	[phone]
Matt Sharff	[phone]	Simon Evans	[phone]
James King	[phone]

Investor/Analyst Conference Call

This morning's update will be accompanied by a conference call at 9:00am (BST). This will be hosted by Alison Cooper, Chief Executive; Oliver Tant, Chief Financial Officer & Matthew Phillips, Chief Development Officer.

Should you wish to access the call on a listen only basis please register via the weblink https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/8zfiw5jq

If you would like to participate in the Q&A session, please register using the telephone numbers below:

Conference ID Number                           4659356

Participant Std International Dial-In:          [phone]

Participant UK LocalCall Dial-In:               0844 571 8892

Participant United States                         [phone]

Archived audio playback & a full transcript will also be accessible via www.imperialbrandsplc.com as soon as it becomes available following conclusion of the call.

Cautionary Statement

Certain statements in this announcement constitute or may constitute forward-looking statements. Any statement in this announcement that is not a statement of historical fact including, without limitation, those regarding the Company's future expectations, operations, financial performance, financial condition and business is or may be a forward-looking statement. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or implied in any forward-looking statement. These risks and uncertainties include, among other factors, changing economic, financial, business or other market conditions. These and other factors could adversely affect the outcome and financial effects of the plans and events described in this announcement. As a result, you are cautioned not to place any reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements reflect knowledge and information available at the date of this announcement and the Company undertakes no obligation to update its view of such risks and uncertainties or to update the forward-looking statements contained herein. Nothing in this announcement should be construed as a profit forecast or profit estimate and no statement in this announcement should be interpreted to mean that the future earnings per share of the Company for current or future financial years will necessarily match or exceed the historical or published earnings per share of the Company. This announcement has been prepared for, and only for the members of the Company, as a body, and no other persons. The Company, its Directors, employees, agents or advisers do not accept or assume responsibility to any other person to whom this announcement is shown or into whose hands it may come and any such responsibility or liability is expressly disclaimed.

 

END

 

 

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