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An announcement from British American Tobacco ( (GB:BATS) ) is now available.
British American Tobacco has continued executing its share buyback programme, repurchasing 165,340 ordinary shares on 22 April 2026 from Banco Santander on the London Stock Exchange at a volume-weighted average price of 4,103.8172 pence. The company plans to cancel these shares, reducing its free-float share count and leaving 2.17 billion ordinary shares in issue with voting rights and 132.7 million shares held in treasury, a move that marginally enhances earnings per share and may support shareholder returns.
The transaction forms part of the broader capital return strategy approved by shareholders at the April 2026 AGM, under which the board is using excess cash to buy back equity. By shrinking its share base while maintaining a sizable treasury position, BAT is signaling confidence in its balance sheet strength and cash-generation capacity, a notable consideration for dividend-oriented investors in the mature global tobacco sector.
The most recent analyst rating on (GB:BATS) stock is a Buy with a £52.00 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 and nicotine products group, best known for manufacturing and selling cigarettes and next-generation nicotine products. The company targets adult consumers worldwide and its shares are listed in London, where it is a constituent of major equity indices followed by income-focused investors.
Average Trading Volume: 4,729,787
Technical Sentiment Signal: Buy
Current Market Cap: £88.99B
For detailed information about BATS stock, go to TipRanks’ Stock Analysis page.