The company said volume was down 1% to 158m cigarettes. It said it had built on the good share performance last year‚ with "strong share growth across the key markets" in the first quarter the year.
Chief Executive Nicandro Durante said: "This is a good underlying performance‚ underpinned by an improving trend in volume. We have grown revenue at constant rates of exchange and our pricing remains on track.
"Our market share continued to grow‚ driven by the strength of our global drive brands. Although foreign exchange remains an issue for reported results‚ it is a good start to the year. I remain confident of delivering consistent growth in earnings in constant currency terms‚ which we will recognise with an increase in the dividend," Durante said.
Cigarette volumes for the five global brands were up by 6.3%.
Dunhill volume increased by 4.1% and Kent was up 1.6%‚ while Lucky Strike volume was down 1.0%. Pall Mall was up 6.9% and Rothmans grew by 27.6%.
For more than two decades, I-Net Bridge has been one of South Africa’s preferred electronic providers of innovative solutions, data of the highest calibre, reliable platforms and excellent supporting systems. Our products include workstations, web applications and data feeds packaged with in-depth news and powerful analytical tools empowering clients to make meaningful decisions.
We pride ourselves on our wide variety of in-house skills, encompassing multiple platforms and applications. These skills enable us to not only function as a first class facility, but also design, implement and support all our client needs at a level that confirms I-Net Bridge a leader in its field.
Go to: http://www.inet.co.za
