Imperial sparks up a cigar to celebrate sales growth

(MailOnline) A growing number of super-rich Chinese puffing away on Imperial Tobacco's luxury Cuban cigars helped the Montecristo maker deliver better than expected sales for the last three months of 2010.
The Bristol- based firm behind Lambert & Butler and Golden Virginia surprised the market with a return to sales growth following a difficult 12 months in which fewer smokers sparked up in Russia, Spain and the Ukraine.
Demand for value brands and sales of its products in emerging markets boosted cigarette volumes, up 0.5pc, and total stick volumes (cigarette and fine-cut tobacco), up 1.2pc. Continued

Photo: http://lamarde.com/