BAT First-Quarter Sales Advance on Higher Cigarette Prices

British American Tobacco Plc (BATS), Europe’s largest cigarette maker, said first-quarter revenue rose as higher prices offset declining consumption.

Pricing helped boost sales as shipments declined 2.4 percent in the three months ended March 31, London-based BAT said in a statement today. Volume excluding acquisitions declined 1.8 percent. Organic revenue growth was 5 percent at constant exchange rates.