British American Tobacco (BAT) has reaffirmed its full-year profit and sales forecasts that have been strengthened by strong demand for its ‘new categories’ products, reports Reuters.

BAT described 2021 as a ‘pivotal year’ in its transformation journey and said 3.6 million additional customers had used its ‘new categories’ products, which includes e-cigarettes, tobacco heating and oral nicotine, in the year to end-September. This means the company’s non-combustible user base now lies at 17.1 million, according to Reuters. BAT invested more than GBP 346 million (USD 459.56 million) into its new categories in the first half of the year which paid off with sales increasing by more than 50 per cent.
"We continued to accelerate these investments in the second half which has helped it make a sizeable contribution to revenue growth (this year)," Chief Marketing Officer Kingsley Wheaton told Reuters.
BAT kept its full-year forecast for constant currency revenue growth above 5 per cent and mid-single digit adjusted earnings per share growth in 2021, as it also expects to gain from selling higher priced cigarettes, reports Reuters.