Cigarette Giant BAT Sees $31.5 Billion Write-Down on US Brands
06 Dezembro 2023 - 7:37AM
Dow Jones News
By Joe Hoppe
British American Tobacco expects a one-off impairment of $31.5
billion this year due to pressure on some of its traditional
cigarette brands in the U.S., as it shifts focus to smokeless
products.
The FTSE 100 cigarette maker--which houses the Kent, Dunhill and
Lucky Strike brands among its portfolio--said macroeconomic
pressures on its traditional cigarette business performance in the
U.S. and investments in its noncombustibles business would lead to
an accounting noncash adjusting impairment charge of around GBP25
billion.
It said the adjustment mainly relates to some of its acquired
U.S. cigarette brands, and it will now assess their carrying value
and useful economic lives over an estimated period of 30 years. It
plans to start amortization of the remaining value of its U.S.
cigarette brands from January.
The brands being written down include Newport, Pall Mall, Camel
and Natural American Spirit, a company spokesperson confirmed.
The company attributed the slump in U.S. sales to economic
challenges, as some customers switched to cheaper, nonpremium
brands, and a rise in illegal disposal vapes. It said it expects
these headwinds to persist into 2024.
Global tobacco volumes are forecast to slump 3% in 2023, the
company added.
BAT said it plans to generate up to 50% of its revenue from
noncombustibles by 2035, covering products like vapes and
tobacco-free nicotine pouches, and would continue to invest in the
sector into 2024.
On the back of the strategy shift and U.S. pressures, it expects
low single-digit growth in revenue and adjusted profit from
operations on an organic basis for the upcoming year.
It then expects a progressive improvement to 3%-5% revenue
growth and mid single-digit adjusted profit from operations by
2026.
"I am confident that the choices we are making today will drive
our long-term success and deliver sustainable value for all of our
stakeholders," Chief Executive Tadeu Marroco said.
For this year, the company said it expects revenue growth at the
low end of its previously guided 3%-5% range at constant currency.
It further expects mid single-figure adjusted diluted earnings per
share growth on a constant-currency basis, including around a 2%
transactional foreign-exchange headwind.
It reported strong volume and revenue growth in new categories,
which it expects to be broadly breakeven, two years ahead of
schedule.
Shares at 0952 GMT were down 197.5 pence, or 7.9%, at 2,290.5
pence.
Write to Joe Hoppe at joseph.hoppe@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
December 06, 2023 05:22 ET (10:22 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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