Core Viewpoint - The article highlights the robust growth trend in the new tobacco industry, as evidenced by British American Tobacco's performance in the first half of 2025, particularly in the heated tobacco and new oral tobacco segments [1]. Group 1: Investment Recommendations - The global HNB (Heated Not Burned) industry is entering a new product lifecycle phase, with major brands actively engaging in market cultivation, leading to accelerated industry expansion [2]. - The vaping market faced challenges in the first half of 2025, with British American Tobacco's vaping business generating £737 million in revenue, a decrease of 15% year-on-year, primarily due to illegal products in the U.S. and Canada, as well as market dynamics in Europe and other regions [2]. - The company has exited markets like Malaysia and Saudi Arabia to improve investment returns, while the U.S. has seen a clearance of illegal disposable brand inventories, which will take time to impact the market [2]. Group 2: Performance Analysis - The overall performance of HNB products remained stable, with British American Tobacco's HNB business achieving £444 million in revenue, a slight increase of 1% year-on-year, and heated stick sales reaching 10.1 billion units, up 2% [3]. - The introduction of Glo Hilo has helped expand market share in trial regions, with a 1.5 percentage point increase in Glo's market share in Sendai [3]. - The new oral tobacco segment has shown significant growth, with revenue reaching £470 million, a 38% increase year-on-year, and sales volume of 5 billion pouches, up 42% [3]. - The U.S. market for new oral tobacco has surged, with a 206% increase in sales, and the Velo brand capturing a market share of 17% by July 2025, making it the fastest-growing brand in this category [3].

Group 1: Market Trends - The Hong Kong stock market is expected to continue its bull run in the second half of 2025, outperforming the A-share market, driven by sectors like innovative drugs, new consumption, and AI applications[4] - The overall increase in the Hong Kong stock market is attributed to the scarcity of certain assets, aligning with current industry development trends and better fundamentals, which may attract continued capital inflow from mainland investors[5] Group 2: Sector Analysis - The AI sector is leading the technological cycle upward, with significant growth potential for Hong Kong's tech assets, particularly in the AI industry chain, which includes model development and commercial applications[5] - The film industry has shown significant improvement, with a 49% increase in box office revenue week-on-week, and a year-on-year growth of 64.8% due to new releases during the summer season[11] Group 3: Economic Indicators - Real estate sales in 30 major cities have decreased by 20.8% year-on-year, with first-tier cities seeing a decline of 17.8%[10] - The average daily retail sales of passenger cars increased by 5.0% year-on-year, indicating a slight recovery in consumer demand despite rising inventory pressures among dealers[10] Group 4: Policy and Regulatory Environment - The U.S. and China have agreed to extend the tariff exemption period by 90 days, stabilizing trade relations temporarily[14] - Recent meetings have emphasized the need for macroeconomic policies to support economic recovery and stabilize the capital market, with a focus on promoting consumption and managing risks[16]

Investment Rating - The industry investment rating is "Positive" [2] Core Viewpoints - The report highlights that British American Tobacco's (BAT) new tobacco products are showing signs of profitability recovery, particularly the HNB product Hilo, which is expected to drive future earnings growth [2][3] - For the first half of 2025, BAT reported revenues of £12.069 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 2.2%, but a 1.8% increase when adjusted for fixed exchange rates. New tobacco product revenues remained stable at £1.651 billion, accounting for 13.7% of total revenue [2][3] - The adjusted gross margin for new tobacco products increased by 2.5 percentage points to 59.6%, which is 10 percentage points higher than traditional cigarettes, indicating a potential for continued profitability improvement [2][3] Summary by Sections Revenue Performance - In H1 2025, BAT's revenue from new tobacco products was £1.651 billion, with a stable year-on-year performance and a 2.4% increase when adjusted for fixed exchange rates. This segment accounted for 13.7% of total revenue, up 0.3 percentage points year-on-year [2] - The overall tobacco market is expected to see a 2% decline in sales volume globally in 2025, while BAT anticipates its own growth to be between 1% and 2%, with new tobacco products expected to achieve mid-single-digit growth [2] Product Performance - The vaping segment saw revenues of £740 million in H1 2025, down 15.3% year-on-year, with a volume of 250 million units sold, a decrease of 12.9%. The decline in the US was attributed to illegal disposable products and inventory disruptions, while the European market is recovering due to improved regulatory conditions [2][3] - The HNB segment generated £440 million in revenue, with a slight year-on-year increase of 0.8%. Sales volume was 10.1 billion units, up 1.6%. The APMEA region showed an 8.7% increase in HNB sales, driven by significant contributions from Japan and Kazakhstan [3] - The oral tobacco segment experienced a revenue increase of 38.1% year-on-year, reaching £470 million, with a global market share increase of 4.4 percentage points. The US market saw a remarkable revenue growth of 372% year-on-year, driven by the successful nationwide launch of Velo Plus [4] Market Outlook - The report emphasizes the potential for HNB products to continue driving growth, with a focus on product iteration and market expansion. Key companies to watch include Smoore International, China National Tobacco Corporation, and core suppliers like Xianhe Co. and Yingqu Technology [4]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Group revenue increased by 1.8%, adjusted gross profit rose by 3%, and adjusted profit from operations grew by 1.9%, with adjusted diluted EPS increasing by 1.7% [10][24][47] - The company anticipates full-year revenue at the top end of the 1% to 2% guidance, maintaining APFO guidance of 1.5% to 2.5% [10][26] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Smokeless products now account for 18.2% of Group revenue, up 70 basis points from last year, with 1.4 million new smokeless consumers added [4] - New categories revenue increased by 2.4%, driven by modern oral growth of over 40% and heated products rising by more than 3%, while vapor declined by 13% [11][12] - Combustibles revenue increased by 0.8%, with volume decline offset by strong pricing, leading to a gross profit increase of 2.4% [13][14] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - In the U.S., revenue grew by 3.7%, with combustibles driving the growth, while modern oral revenue increased by 3.9% [16][17] - The AME region saw revenue rise by 3.5%, with combustibles up nearly 3% due to strong volumes in Brazil and Turkey [17] - APMEA experienced a total revenue decline of 4.8%, with combustibles down 7.9%, impacted by regulatory headwinds in Bangladesh and Australia [19][20] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on a multi-category strategy to leverage consumer trends towards new categories, with significant investments in modern oral and heated products [28][30] - The introduction of the "Fit to Win" program aims to simplify operations and enhance digital decision-making, targeting £500 million in annualized savings by 2028 [22][23] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in returning to revenue and profit growth in the U.S., highlighting the importance of regulatory affairs and enforcement for smokeless alternatives [6][41] - The company remains optimistic about the long-term growth potential of modern oral products, especially in emerging markets [30][31] Other Important Information - The company has increased its 2025 share buyback program by £200 million to £1.1 billion, reflecting strong cash generation and commitment to shareholder returns [4][25] - The company has delivered nearly £900 million in productivity savings since 2023 and aims to exceed £1.2 billion by year-end [21] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you discuss the early performance of GloHilo in Japan and its rollout plans? - Management reported positive feedback from Japanese consumers, with a tailored product offering leading to early market share gains. The rollout will focus on high-profit pools through the end of the year [52][54] Question: What is the current momentum for VeloPlus in the U.S.? - VeloPlus is maintaining strong momentum with high retention rates and increasing market share, despite competitive pressures [57][58] Question: Can you clarify the Fit to Win program's costs and savings? - The program will have some costs in 2025, with a target of £500 million in annualized savings by 2028, which will be reinvested into growth initiatives [61][62] Question: What is the outlook for the vape business in the AME region? - The vape business is facing challenges in Canada due to regulations, but there is potential for growth as the market transitions to closed systems [66][70] Question: How is the company addressing the illegal vapor market in the U.S.? - Management noted a 40% reduction in illegal vapor shipments, with ongoing efforts to enforce regulations and improve market conditions [74][76] Question: What is the impact of the duty drawback on U.S. business? - The duty drawback is positively impacting the top line, but the company is also seeing growth from improved market share and pricing strategies [97][100] Question: Is there capacity to meet the expected growth in VeloPlus? - The company is well-equipped to handle the growth in VeloPlus, with no anticipated capacity shortages [102]