London, Jan 31, 2026, 07:54 GMT — Market closed
- British American Tobacco shares ended the day at 4,376p, rising 1.1%.
- A new buyback filing revealed the cancellation of 131,672 shares repurchased.
- Investors are focusing on the dividend set for Feb. 4 and the full-year results due Feb. 12.
British American Tobacco (BATS.L) closed Friday 1.1% higher at 4,376 pence, beating the FTSE 100. The tobacco giant’s ongoing buyback program kept investor interest alive.
The market’s closed for the weekend, but BAT is gearing up for a busy stretch. Its next quarterly dividend is set for Feb. 4.
Legal risk has resurfaced. A lawsuit lodged in a Virginia federal court alleges that BAT and one of its units aided North Korea in financing terrorism, The Guardian reports.
A filing on Friday revealed BAT purchased 131,672 shares from UBS AG London Branch on Jan. 29 at a volume-weighted average price of 4,346.8597 pence. These shares are planned for cancellation. After this move, the company will have 2,177,014,231 shares outstanding, excluding treasury stock.
Tobacco’s outlook has been tangled this week. Altria Group, the U.S. maker of Marlboro, flagged a profit boost in 2026 thanks to a tax rebate called the “double duty drawback.” The company is also leaning on partnerships with firms like KT&G to widen exports. Salvatore Mancuso told Reuters it would be “foolish” to ignore this provision. Reuters
For BAT, the real test ahead is 2026 guidance and cash flow, not just daily buyback figures. Back in December, CEO Tadeu Marroco urged caution for 2026, citing regulatory and competitive headwinds in the U.S. vape market.
The North Korea-related claims add to a well-known history that investors have mostly treated as old news. Back in April 2023, BAT announced it had settled investigations with the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office of Foreign Assets Control, related to past business involving North Korea. The company also said it stopped all North Korea-related activities by September 2017.
That said, the lawsuit could still pack a punch if it uncovers documents that unsettle investors. Timing in legal battles is notoriously unpredictable, and any sign of larger damages—or a wave of similar claims—would challenge the belief that shareholder returns will continue to steal the spotlight.
Traders will be keeping an eye on whether the stock can maintain Friday’s gains when trading restarts on Monday, as well as looking for any company statements beyond the court docket and filings related to the lawsuit.
BAT is set to release its preliminary 2025 results on Feb. 12 at 0700 GMT, followed by a webcast later that morning. This is the next key event to watch.
