BATBC Q1 profit drops 23%

British American Tobacco Bangladesh Company Ltd (BATBC) saw its profit drop in the first quarter of 2025 due to declining sales.

The leading tobacco producer reported a 23 percent year-on-year decline in profit to Tk 318 crore in the January-March quarter.

Earlier, BATBC posted a profit of Tk 1,750.68 crore in 2024, reflecting a 2 percent fall from the previous year.

Its earnings per share (EPS) stood at Tk 5.89 in the January-March quarter, down from Tk 7.65 in the same quarter a year ago, according to a price-sensitive information (PSI) disclosure posted by the company.

BATBC attributed the EPS decline to a drop in sales volume during the quarter.

Its net operating cash flow per share (NOCFPS) stood at negative Tk 17.62 in the first quarter, compared to negative Tk 10.49 in the same period last year.

Lower collections from sales as well as higher excise and tax payments caused the fall, the company said in the PSI.

As of March 31, 2025, sponsors and directors held 72.91 percent of the company's shares, while institutional investors held 14 percent, foreign investors 4.26 percent, and the rest by the government and general public investors, according to Dhaka Stock Exchange data.