BAT Cancels 159,155 Shares in Latest Buyback Tranche

British American Tobacco ( (GB:BATS) ) has shared an announcement.

British American Tobacco has repurchased 159,155 of its 25 pence ordinary shares on 1 April 2026 from Banco Santander as part of the buyback programme first announced in March 2024. The shares, bought at a volume-weighted average price of 4,335.3770p, will be cancelled, reducing the number of shares in issue with voting rights to 2,172,683,741 and potentially enhancing earnings per share and capital return metrics for investors.

Following this transaction the group will also continue to hold 132,669,859 shares in treasury, a level of stock that can be used for future corporate purposes while limiting immediate dilution. The updated share count provides key information for investors monitoring their disclosure thresholds under UK transparency rules and underscores the company’s continued use of buybacks as a tool for shareholder value management.

The most recent analyst rating on (GB:BATS) stock is a Hold with a £41.50 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on British American Tobacco stock, see the GB:BATS Stock Forecast page.

Spark’s Take on BATS Stock

According to Spark, TipRanks’ AI Analyst, BATS is a Outperform.

The score is driven primarily by solid-but-not-clean financial performance (profitability strength offset by leverage and a notable 2025 cash-flow decline). Valuation is supportive due to the high dividend yield and moderate P/E, while technicals are broadly neutral. Earnings-call guidance and capital-return plans help, but are tempered by vapor/illicit pressures and regional weakness.

To see Spark’s full report on BATS stock, click here.

More about British American Tobacco

British American Tobacco p.l.c. is a global tobacco group listed in London, producing and selling cigarettes and other nicotine products across multiple markets. The company focuses on maintaining shareholder returns while managing its capital structure, including through ongoing share repurchase programmes.

Average Trading Volume: 4,262,763

Technical Sentiment Signal: Buy

Current Market Cap: £94.71B

See more data about BATS stock on TipRanks’ Stock Analysis page.