Imperial Brands Shrinks Share Count with Ongoing £1.45bn Buyback

An announcement from Imperial Brands ( (GB:IMB) ) is now available.

Imperial Brands has continued executing its £1.45 billion share repurchase programme, buying 217,825 ordinary shares for cancellation on 20 April 2026 at an average price of 2,794.4491 pence per share. The transaction, conducted via Barclays Capital Securities on the London Stock Exchange, will reduce the company’s share count to 779,262,165, marginally enhancing earnings per share and signalling ongoing capital returns to shareholders.

The cancellation of these shares tightens Imperial Brands’ equity base and may support its valuation metrics, while providing a clearer denominator for investors assessing disclosure thresholds under UK transparency rules. The move underscores management’s continued commitment to shareholder distributions through buybacks alongside dividends in a mature, highly regulated tobacco market.

The most recent analyst rating on (GB:IMB) stock is a Hold with a £3150.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Imperial Brands stock, see the GB:IMB Stock Forecast page.

Spark’s Take on IMB Stock

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

Imperial Brands scores well due to strong earnings call performance and positive technical indicators. Financial performance is stable but requires careful management of debt and cash flow. The attractive valuation further supports the stock’s potential, despite some regulatory challenges.

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

More about Imperial Brands

Imperial Brands is a global tobacco and next-generation products company, focused on manufacturing and selling cigarettes, cigars, rolling tobacco, and vaping products. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, it targets international markets with a portfolio of traditional and alternative nicotine products aimed at adult consumers.

Average Trading Volume: 2,446,589

Technical Sentiment Signal: Buy

Current Market Cap: £21.98B

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