Imperial Tobacco says on track for year

Imperial, the world's fourth-largest tobacco company by sales, also said that the integration of Altadis, the Franco-Spanish rival it acquired for 12.6 billion euros in January, was going well.

"We delivered a number of good performances in the period, increasing our share and volumes in many markets," chief executive Gareth Davis said in a statement. The company did not provide detailed figures.

"Our operating environment remains challenging but our business fundamentals are strong and with our continued focus on profitability, cost reductions and driving distribution of the enlarged brand and product portfolio, we remain on track for another successful year," Davis added.

Shares in the maker of brands including Lambert & Butler, West and Gauloises rose 1.6 percent to 1,797 pence ($35.86).

Like other tobacco manufacturers, Imperial has announced plans to cut jobs and streamline its businesses as cigarette sales decline in Western European markets amid smoking bans.

Britain--a key market for Imperial--became the latest country to ban smoking in enclosed public spaces, including restaurants and pubs, last year and is also considering banning vending machines and requiring shops to stock cigarettes below the counter.

Imperial has said it will close six of its 58 factories around the world and reorganize operations at a number of other sites after the Altadis acquisition, potentially cutting the number of jobs at the enlarged company by around 2,440 from the current 40,000.

The company earlier this year made a deeply discounted 4.9 billion pound rights issue to help finance the acquisition, after reporting a 45 percent drop in profit for the first half of the year.

Imperial said Thursday it would delist its American Depository Receipts from the New York Stock Exchange in order to simplify the business and reduce costs.