Imperial Tobacco Sees Share Gains in UK And Germany

Source from:  LONDON, Sept 19 (Reuters) 09/24/2007

Britain's Imperial Tobacco Group Plc (IMT.L: Quote, Profile , Research) on Wednesday said its current year trading remained in line with its own expectations helped by cigarette market share gains in its two key markets of the UK and Germany. The world's fourth-biggest cigarette firm agreed in July to buy Franco-Spanish rival Altadis (ALT.MC: Quote, Profile , Research) for 12.6 billion euros and Imperial said it is now awaiting approval by the Spanish regulator CNMV and hopes to complete the deal by the end of 2007. The company, which makes Britain's two top-selling cigarette brands Lambert & Butler and Richmond, together with West and Davidoff in Germany, was making a trading statement towards the end of its financial year on Sept. 30, and ahead of its full-year results on Oct. 30. Enditem