British American Tobacco finalizes dividend, continues buyback, director appointed

British American Tobacco plc (BATS) has announced the finalization of its fourth quarterly dividend for the year ended 31 December 2024, payable in February 2026. Shareholders on the South Africa branch register will receive ZAR 1,356.46111 per ordinary share, with ZAR 271.29222 withheld for dividends tax at 20%.

The company also confirmed a continuous share buyback program. On December 12, 2025, it repurchased 145,000 ordinary shares at a volume-weighted average price of 4,302.41p. Further purchases on December 15, 2025, involved 145,000 shares at 4,268.89p, and on December 17, 2025, an additional 145,000 shares were bought back at 4,293.70p. On December 18, 2025, 159,774 shares were repurchased at a volume-weighted average price of 4,265.90p.

All repurchased shares are intended for cancellation, aiming to reduce the number of ordinary shares in issue (excluding treasury shares) to 2,179,891,962. In a separate announcement, Karen Guerra, a non-executive director, has been appointed as an independent director of Société Bic S.A., effective December 16, 2025.