BAT Cancels New Tranche of Shares in Ongoing Buyback

British American Tobacco ( (GB:BATS) ) has provided an update.

British American Tobacco has continued its share buyback programme, repurchasing and cancelling a total of just over 514,000 ordinary shares between 5 and 8 May 2026 at volume‑weighted average prices ranging from about 4,263p to 4,389p. The move reduces the number of voting shares in issue to roughly 2.17 billion while increasing treasury holdings to more than 132 million shares, a capital management step that can enhance earnings per share and may affect major investors’ disclosure thresholds under UK transparency rules.

The latest tranche of purchases, executed via Merrill Lynch International on the London Stock Exchange under authority granted at the April 2026 AGM, forms part of a broader buyback first unveiled in March 2024. By shrinking its free float and signalling confidence in its valuation, the company underscores its ongoing commitment to shareholder returns, though the reduced share count also alters the ownership percentages and reporting requirements for existing institutional holders.

The most recent analyst rating on (GB:BATS) stock is a Buy with a £4900.00 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 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 is a global tobacco company focused on manufacturing and selling cigarettes and other nicotine products. The group targets international markets with a large base of ordinary shareholders and its stock is listed in London, where it actively manages its capital structure through share issues, buybacks and treasury holdings.

Average Trading Volume: 4,633,804

Technical Sentiment Signal: Strong Buy

Current Market Cap: £92.32B

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