BAT cancels new tranche of buyback shares, trimming free float

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

British American Tobacco has repurchased 129,826 ordinary shares on 11 February 2026 under its ongoing share buyback programme, paying a volume‑weighted average price of 4,414.7794p. The company plans to cancel these shares, reducing the free float to 2,175,844,631 shares with voting rights and retaining 132,976,327 shares in treasury, a move that marginally enhances earnings per share and signals continued capital returns to shareholders.

The latest tranche, executed via UBS on the London Stock Exchange within the shareholder authority granted in April 2025, underscores management’s commitment to its previously announced capital allocation strategy. The shrinking share count may slightly increase existing investors’ ownership percentages and could support the share price, while requiring some holders to reassess disclosure thresholds under UK transparency rules.

The most recent analyst rating on (GB:BATS) stock is a Buy with a £49.00 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 GB:BATS Stock

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

British American Tobacco’s overall score is driven by strong technical indicators and positive corporate events, including share buybacks and executive share acquisitions. While financial performance shows robust cash flow, concerns about earnings volatility and a high P/E ratio slightly temper the outlook. The company’s strategic initiatives in innovation and digital transformation are promising, but challenges in specific markets require attention.

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

More about British American Tobacco

British American Tobacco is a global tobacco company that manufactures and markets cigarettes and other nicotine products. The group focuses on both traditional combustible brands and a growing portfolio of next‑generation and reduced‑risk products across developed and emerging markets.

Average Trading Volume: 4,168,312

Technical Sentiment Signal: Strong Buy

Current Market Cap: £96.66B

See more insights into BATS stock on TipRanks’ Stock Analysis page.