---
title: "Imperial Brands Advances £1.45bn Buyback with Further Share Cancellation"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/286799067.md"
description: "Imperial Brands has announced the buyback and cancellation of 123,620 ordinary shares as part of its £1.45 billion repurchase program, reducing its share count to 775,774,979. This move aims to enhance earnings per share and adjust major investors' disclosure thresholds, reinforcing the company's focus on shareholder returns. Analysts rate the stock as a Buy with a price target of £3500.00, citing strong performance and attractive valuation despite regulatory challenges."
datetime: "2026-05-18T16:27:24.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/286799067.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286799067.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/286799067.md)
---

# Imperial Brands Advances £1.45bn Buyback with Further Share Cancellation

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Imperial Brands ( (GB:IMB) ) has shared an announcement.

Imperial Brands has continued its capital return strategy by buying back and cancelling 123,620 ordinary shares on 18 May 2026 as part of its £1.45 billion share repurchase programme. The shares, purchased via Barclays Capital Securities at an average price of 2,884.9014 pence, will reduce the company’s share count to 775,774,979, a move that may enhance earnings per share and adjust major investors’ disclosure thresholds.

The reduced number of shares in issue provides a new denominator for shareholders and other parties monitoring their notifiable interests under the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. By tightening its share base through ongoing buybacks, Imperial Brands is reinforcing its focus on shareholder returns and signalling confidence in its financial position and future cash generation.

The most recent analyst rating on (GB:IMB) stock is a Buy with a £3500.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Imperial Brands stock, see the GB:IMB Stock Forecast page.

**Spark’s Take on IMB Stock**

According to Spark, TipRanks’ AI Analyst, IMB is a Outperform.

Imperial Brands scores well due to strong earnings call performance and positive technical indicators. Financial performance is stable but requires careful management of debt and cash flow. The attractive valuation further supports the stock’s potential, despite some regulatory challenges.

To see Spark’s full report on IMB stock, click here.

**More about Imperial Brands**

Imperial Brands is a global tobacco and nicotine products company, best known for manufacturing and selling cigarettes and other related products. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, it targets international markets and maintains a large base of ordinary shareholders, with its capital structure actively managed through share repurchase programmes.

**Average Trading Volume:** 2,908,949

**Technical Sentiment Signal:** Buy

**Current Market Cap:** £21.77B

Find detailed analytics on IMB stock on TipRanks’ Stock Analysis page.

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## Related News & Research

- [Imperial Brands Cancels 150,000 Shares in Ongoing £1.45bn Buyback](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286388648.md)
- [RBC Capital Remains a Hold on Imperial Brands (IMB)](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286205436.md)
- [Goldman Sachs Sticks to Its Buy Rating for Imperial Brands (IMB)](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286635510.md)
- [Imperial Brands Cancels Further Shares Under GBP 1.45bn Buyback](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286134109.md)
- [UBS Reaffirms Their Hold Rating on Imperial Brands (IMB)](https://longbridge.com/en/news/285979212.md)