FACTBOX - Key Facts about Imperial Tobacco

Source from:  uk.news.yahoo.com Reuters - Tuesday, May 20 05/21/2008

Imperial's acquisition of Franco-Spanish Altadis in late January for 12.6 billion euro (10 billion pounds) - (Reuters) - Imperial Tobacco , the world's No. 4 cigarette group, launched a deeply discounted 4.9 billion pound rights issue on Tuesday to pay for Altadis with the size of the cash call depressing its shares. (Advertisement) Here are some facts about Imperial Tobacco: * BASIC FACTS: -- Imperial Tobacco Group is the world's fourth-largest cigarette group, selling 200 billion cigarettes in its financial year to end-September 2007. -- It is the largest cigarette producer in Britain with a market capitalisation of 17.63 billion pounds and No. 2 in Germany. -- Formed in 1901, Imperial Tobacco has 58 factories and sells products in over 130 countries. It employs 14,221 people. -- It was demerged from conglomerate Hanson and floated on the London stock market in October 1996. * BRANDS: -- Imperial's cigarette brands include Lambert & Butler, Richmond, Embassy, Regal, Superkings, West and Davidoff. -- Imperial's acquisition of Franco-Spanish Altadis in late January for 12.6 billion euro (10 billion pounds) gave it brands such as Gauloises and Fortuna. The deal made it the No. 2 player in Europe after Marlboro-maker Philip Morris International. * PERFORMANCE: -- The group's adjusted earnings per share stood at 72.4 pence for its half year to end-March 2008. The half-year dividend rose 14 percent to 24p a share. -- The group said its annual cost savings target from the Altadis deal would be 300 million euros by September 2010, but added this would rise to 400 million euros by September 2012. -- Gareth Davis is its chief executive. * RECENT DEVELOPMENTS: -- Recently it has sold a number of fine cut and pipe tobacco brands to Philip Morris International for 254 million euros. -- The Office of Fair Trading (OFT), the consumer affairs watchdog, said in April it had issued a so-called statement of objections naming Imperial Tobacco among others for alleged infringements during 2000 and 2003. Enditem