Imperial Brands PLC (IMB) fair value: what the stock is really worth
As of Nov 6, 2026: fair value (intrinsic value) of Imperial Brands PLC stock £57.55, price £29.73, upside +93.6%, quality 66 out of 100. Rating: strongly undervalued. Calculated from audited financials with 24 of our 26 valuation models and 37 quality factors, updated daily.
69 individual criteria per stock, every one traceableSee the method →
Price vs Fair Value
White line = price, green steps = our fair value per fiscal year. As of Nov 9, 2026.
How to read this chart
60‑month range £10.34 – £31.75 · fair‑value band £34.83 – £72.42 · the £29.73 price screens below the £57.55 fair value. Green steps = our fair value per fiscal year (point-in-time, no hindsight). As of Nov 9, 2026.
Follow Imperial Brands in your weekly email
Every Wednesday you see whether Imperial Brands is on track or worth a review, plus price against fair value. Free, up to 3 stocks.
We send you a confirmation link. Unsubscribe with one click.
Imperial Brands PLC, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, imports, markets, and sells tobacco and tobacco-related products in Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Asia, Australasia, and internationally.
Show moreShow less
It offers a range of cigarettes, tobacco accessories, vapour, heated tobacco, and oral nicotine.
The company sells its products under various brands, including JPS, Davidoff, Gauloises, West, Winston, Kool, Lambert & Butler, P&S, Fortuna, Nobel, News, Backwoods, Champion, Golden Virginia, FINE, Rizla, Blu, Pulze, Skruf, and Zone.
In addition, it engages in the distribution of tobacco and NGP products for tobacco and NGP product manufacturers; and various non-tobacco and NGP products and services.
Further, the company is involved in the management of a golf course; distribution of pharmaceuticals, POS software, and published materials and other products; printing and publishing activities; and provision of long haul transportation, industrial parcel and express delivery, pharmaceutical products logistics, advertising, payment, freight forwarding, and support management services, as well as owns the trademarks; and retails its products.
Additionally, it engages in edition and distribution of books and non-periodical publication. Furthermore, the company is involved in research and development of e-vapour products.
The company was formerly known as Imperial Tobacco Group PLC and changed its name to Imperial Brands PLC in February 2016. Imperial Brands PLC was founded in 1636 and is based in Bristol, the United Kingdom.
Stock analysis
Imperial Brands PLC (IMB) currently trades at £29.73, while our model-based Fair Value estimate is £57.55, implying the stock looks roughly 48% undervalued today.
Show more
Valuation
Bull case: the Growth DCF group reads highest at a median of £61.62 per share, and 21 of the 24 models we run sit above the £29.73 price.
Bear case: the Earnings-Based group reads lowest at £22.89, and 3 of the 24 models stay below the price. Data coverage for this calculation is medium.
Scenario range: £34.83 (bear) to £72.42 (bull), the price of £29.73 sits below it. Bear and bull are the same models on cautious and optimistic assumptions, a range, not a price target.
Quality & growth
The Quality Score stands at 66/100 (solid quality), in the Consumer Defensive sector.
Mixed Growth: Spin-off in 2008: revenue and profit before it include the divested business. Growth is measured afresh from 2008.
Imperial Brands PLC reported revenue of £32.2B in FY2025 versus £32.8B in FY2021, a compound −0.5%/yr. Reported net income was £2.1B in FY2025, compounding −7.5%/yr from FY2021.
Key figures
Market cap £23.8B Large · P/E ratio 14.0 · P/S ratio 1.22 · EPS (TTM) £2.13 · Dividend yield 6.9% · Net margin 9.0% · Return on equity 37.2% · Return on assets (EBIT) 11.6% (5-year average).
Competitive moat
Our AI-assisted moat analysis scores the competitive advantage at 65 out of 100 (low confidence).
What moves the price
The last reported earnings sit well below what analysts expect (earnings in transition, for example after write-downs or an earnings dip); whether the stock is cheap or expensive hinges on the expected recovery actually arriving. Read the fair value with that caveat.
The share trades about 6% below its 52-week high and 23% above its 52-week low, currently above its 200-day average.
For context, the median of 10 Consumer Defensive peers we cover trades at 8% fair-value upside, at 94%, IMB screens cheaper than that median.
Fair Value models
Bear£34.83Fair Value £57.55Bull£72.42
Price £29.73 · Upside +93.6%
Model ⓘEach model values the company its own way (discounted cash flow, earnings, assets, dividends). The fair value above starts from their evidence-weighted blend, not from a single model. In cyclical trough or peak years, after dilution or a stock split it is adjusted afterwards, so it can sit above or below the models. Based on fiscal year 2025 figures (about 12 months old). Earnings retained since then (£0.0758 per share) are deliberately not added.Bear ⓘBear = the cautious scenario: the same model computed with conservative anchors (lower growth, margins and valuation multiples). Together with Bull it frames a plausible valuation range, not a price target.BaseBull ⓘBull = the optimistic scenario: the same model computed with favourable anchors (higher growth, margins and valuation multiples). Together with Bear it frames a plausible valuation range, not a price target. If a model's bull case is above four times its base value, the table shows that limit with a > sign (like the overall Bull above): beyond it no assumption holds.Coverage ⓘCoverage = how well-backed THIS model's estimate is for this stock (0–100): how complete and reliable its input data are, and how well the model fits the company. The final Fair Value is an evidence-weighted blend, so better-evidenced models count more. Green ≥70, amber 50–69, grey below 50.
Growth Quality ⓘGrowth is valuable only when reinvestment earns attractive returns (Aswath Damodaran): sustainable growth depends on return on capital, reinvestment and efficiency. Basis: total company revenue over the periods shown on the cards (3Y/5Y/all years), not per share, so a merger can show up as a growth jump; per-share earnings growth is in the value-creation card.55/100
Spin-off in 2008: revenue and profit before it include the divested business. Growth is measured afresh from 2008.
Revenue growth 1 year
−0.7%
Revenue growth 3 years ⓘMeasures the company's TOTAL revenue from reported annual statements: compound average growth per year (CAGR) from the fiscal year 3, 5 or N years back to the most recent comparable fiscal year. Not per share: buybacks do not change this number, and a merger can appear as a growth jump. Per-share growth (which does include buybacks) is in the value-creation card.
−0.4%
Revenue growth 5 years ⓘMeasures the company's TOTAL revenue from reported annual statements: compound average growth per year (CAGR) from the fiscal year 3, 5 or N years back to the most recent comparable fiscal year. Not per share: buybacks do not change this number, and a merger can appear as a growth jump. Per-share growth (which does include buybacks) is in the value-creation card.
−0.2%
Start year 2020 (pandemic). Over 10 years: +2.4% a year
Revenue growth 17 years ⓘMeasures the company's TOTAL revenue from reported annual statements: compound average growth per year (CAGR) from the fiscal year 3, 5 or N years back to the most recent comparable fiscal year. Not per share: buybacks do not change this number, and a merger can appear as a growth jump. Per-share growth (which does include buybacks) is in the value-creation card.
+2.7%
’14
’15
’16
’17
’18
’19
’20
’21
’22
’23
’24
’25
What shareholders gained per year (last 5 years) ⓘWhat the business itself delivers per year: earnings growth per share plus the dividend yield. This is what you get IF the market keeps valuing the stock the same way: it contains no assumption about the market changing its mind. Computed per share, so buybacks count and a merger does not pass as growth. For a company that pays no dividend it is pure earnings growth per share. Period: earnings growth per share as CAGR over the last 5 reported fiscal years (annual statements), plus the current dividend yield. The start value is the median of the three years around the start, so a single crisis year (a pandemic or a write-down) does not distort the rate.
+16.4%
Earnings growth per share plus dividend.
Earnings per share, growth per year+9.5%
Dividend (yield on the price)6.9%
Per share before 2008divided by the spin-off factor 1.1535
Pace: 5 vs 10 years ⓘTwo data points, not a trend model: earnings growth per share over the last 5 fiscal years against the last 10. Labelled "steady" when both rates are within 3 percentage points of each other, otherwise picking up or flattening. Shown only when ten years of history exist.9.5% vs 5.3%, picking up
Profit margin 2020 to 2025 ⓘOperating margin then vs now, from reported annual statements. A falling margin after a boom year is the classic peak-earnings signal: the growth rate then leans on an inflated base.8% → 11%
Pace: the 5-year rate starts in 2020 (pandemic)
Growth Forecast
A lot of optimism in the price
The price assumes less growth than the company has delivered so far and more than analysts expect.
What the price assumes ⓘThis turns our valuation around: instead of asking what the share is worth, it asks what growth the current price requires. It uses the cash the company keeps after all spending (free cash flow), the same discount rate as our models, five years of growth, then slowing evenly to 2 % a year by year ten. Compared with the analysts' sales forecasts extended to the same five years (at least three analysts, for context only, it does not enter the Fair Value): within 3 percentage points counts as "in line" (amber), below that little optimism (green), above that a lot of optimism (red).
−3.8%
The company could shrink this much every year for the next five years and today's price would still be justified.
What forecasts expect ⓘAnalysts publish sales forecasts for the next two fiscal years. For the years after that, growth slows evenly to 2 % a year by year ten (2 % is the long-run rate our models use). Projected years are marked as such.
−37.1%
Yearly sales growth analysts expect, extended to five years.
After inflation (UK: IMF forecast 2.3% a year to 2030, 3.3% from 2016 to 2025) that is about −6.0% a year for the price and −38.5% for the forecasts.
News mood ⓘNews mood, the average tone of recent news (93 articles), rated against how stocks are usually covered. 🚀 Hype = unusually upbeat · 🙂 Positive = above average · 😐 Neutral = typical · 🙁 Negative = below average · 😨 Very negative = unusually downbeat. It reflects the tone of coverage, not our valuation.Positive
Recent news coverage is more positive than average.
AI conclusion: Consistent tobacco revenue growth from pricing and share gains plus double-digit next-generation expansion with strong cash generation form the main strength, while debt exceeding equity and thin evidence of durable advantages remain the key limitation.
Main risk: Higher excise duties in Germany from 2027 could raise pack prices sharply, accelerate legal volume declines and boost illicit trade in Imperial's second-largest market by operating profit.
Bull case: Imperial could leverage its challenger positioning and cash generation to accelerate targeted NGP launches and defend combustible margins through pricing in priority markets despite tax pressures.
Bear case: Persistent tax-driven volume losses in Germany combined with slower NGP share gains against better-resourced rivals could erode overall revenue growth and strain the dual combustible-NGP strategy.
Imperial Brands reports a sixth straight year of tobacco net revenue growth driven by pricing and share gains in key markets, even as group volumes decline, while next-generation products deliver double-digit expansion. Strong cash generation supports another major buyback after the prior program. Our models see the shares as undervalued, but will the newer categories offset traditional volume pressure over time or will the core business weigh more heavily?
Price, fair value, quality and upside side by side.
Free, no sign-up
Peer GroupⓘHow this stock ranks against its industry: the green marker is this stock, the band is the typical 25–75% peer range, and the tick is the median.Tobacco · 29 stocks
Beats the industry median on 11/14 measures
Overall it ranks above its industry peers.
Valuation
Quality Score66 · Above median
Fair Value upside+93.6% · Top 25%
Profitability
Return on equity (12 months)37.2% · Top 25%
Return on assets7.2% · Below median
Net margin (12 months)9.0% · Below median
Operating margin (12 months)16.0% · Above median
Growth and dividend
Revenue growth (quarter YoY)4.9% · Above median
Dividend yield (12 months)6.9% · Top 25%
Balance sheet
Debt / equity1.77× · Highest 25%
Valuation Multiplesvs Tobacco median · lower = cheaper
P/E (12 months)14.0× · Cheaper than median
P/B4.92× · book value is mostly goodwill ⓘGoodwill and other intangible assets are larger than the equity. The book value mainly reflects prices paid for past acquisitions, so we do not rank this P/B against the peer group.
For bloggers, editors and developers: paste this into your site or blog (a “Custom HTML” block in WordPress), it shows the current fair value and links back here. Free, plain HTML, and welcome. Full data streams (CSV/JSON) at /developers.
Is Imperial Brands PLC (IMB) overvalued or undervalued?
As of Nov 9, 2026, our model estimates a fair value of £57.55 versus a price of £29.73, about +94% upside (undervalued).
What is the fair value of IMB?
Our model-based fair value for Imperial Brands PLC is £57.55 (as of Nov 9, 2026), built from audited fundamentals. The current price: £29.73.
What is the quality score of IMB?
Imperial Brands PLC has a Quality Score of 66/100. It measures business quality (profitability, growth, cash flow, balance-sheet strength, investment discipline, share issuance). Market factors such as price momentum and volatility do not enter the number; they are shown separately in the detail view.
What is the price target for Imperial Brands PLC (IMB)?
Our model-based price target is the fair value of £57.55 (as of Nov 9, 2026) from 24 valuation models. Cautious scenario £34.83, optimistic scenario £72.42. It is a calculation from audited fundamentals, not an analyst target.
What is the Imperial Brands PLC stock forecast for 2026?
Our models put fair value at £57.55, about +94% upside versus a price of £29.73 (undervalued). Cautious scenario £34.83, optimistic scenario £72.42. The calculation is refreshed regularly with new filings.
What is the revenue of Imperial Brands PLC (IMB)?
Imperial Brands PLC reported trailing-twelve-month revenue of about £19.4B (latest available figure, as of Nov 9, 2026).
Does Imperial Brands PLC pay a dividend?
Imperial Brands PLC currently shows a dividend yield of 6.91% relative to its recent price (as of Nov 9, 2026).
How much is the dividend of Imperial Brands PLC (IMB) and when is the ex-dividend date?
Imperial Brands PLC pays a dividend of £2.05 per share a year, a dividend yield of 6.9%. The last ex-dividend date was Aug 20, 2026. A dividend has been paid every year since at least 1997. The payout ratio is 96.4% of earnings. Free cash flow covers the dividend 1.85 times. Our assessment: Sustainable. Payout and cash coverage both look sustainable.
What growth is priced into Imperial Brands PLC (IMB)?
For today's price to be fair in a discounted-cash-flow model, Imperial Brands PLC would have to grow free cash flow by -3.8 % per year for five years (discount rate 8.6 %, then slowing evenly to 2 % perpetual growth by year ten). Over the last 5 years revenue grew -0.2 % per year. As of Nov 9, 2026.
What discount rate (WACC) does the fair value of IMB use?
Our models discount Imperial Brands PLC at 8.6 %: a base by market capitalisation (large), damped by beta 0.15, country premium for United Kingdom. The same rate applies in all 26 models.
What is a reverse DCF?
A reverse DCF turns the usual calculation around. Instead of deriving a value from assumptions, it takes today's price as given and asks: what free-cash-flow growth would a company have to deliver for exactly this price to be fair? The result is not a forecast but the expectation already priced in. For Imperial Brands PLC that is -3.8 % per year for five years, then slowing evenly to 2 % by year ten, using the same discount rate (8.6 %) and the same formula as our fair value.
How much growth has Imperial Brands PLC (IMB) delivered so far?
Over the past 5 years revenue at Imperial Brands PLC grew -0.2 % a year. The price currently implies free-cash-flow growth of -3.8 % per year. Comparing the two shows how much confidence is in the price: if it demands more than has been delivered, the business has to accelerate for the maths to work.
How fast is the sector of Imperial Brands PLC (IMB) growing?
The median revenue growth in the sector is +3.6 % a year. That is the yardstick for the growth priced into Imperial Brands PLC (-3.8 % per year): it shows whether the expectation is within the usual range or beyond it.
What is the free cash flow yield of Imperial Brands PLC (IMB)?
The free-cash-flow yield on the price is 12.04 %: that much free cash flow Imperial Brands PLC produces per unit of market value. When it exceeds the discount rate of our models (8.6 %), the business already earns more than its cost of capital demands, and the price needs little additional growth.
What is the intrinsic value of Imperial Brands PLC (IMB)?
Intrinsic value and fair value mean the same thing: what the business is worth on its numbers, independent of the share price. For Imperial Brands PLC it is £57.55 per share (as of Nov 9, 2026), against a price of £29.73. It is the blended result of 24 valuation models in 7 families (DCF Models, Earnings-Based, Dividend Discount, Multiples, Growth DCF, Economic Profit, Growth Earnings).
Is Imperial Brands PLC stock overvalued or undervalued in 2026?
As of Nov 9, 2026, IMB trades below its calculated fair value: price £29.73, fair value £57.55, a gap of about +94% (undervalued). The calculation is refreshed with each new quarterly report, so the verdict can change during the year.
Is fair value the same as the market price of IMB?
No. The price is what the market pays today (£29.73); the fair value is what the company's own numbers justify (£57.55). For Imperial Brands PLC the two are £27.82 per share apart. That gap is exactly why we show both numbers side by side.
How much is Imperial Brands PLC worth?
The market values Imperial Brands PLC at about £23.8B (market capitalisation, as of Nov 9, 2026). Per share that is £29.73; our models calculate a fair value of £57.55 per share.
What do the bullish and bearish scenarios say about IMB?
Our models span a range for Imperial Brands PLC: cautious scenario £34.83, base £57.55, optimistic £72.42 per share (as of Nov 9, 2026, price £29.73). The range comes from different growth and margin assumptions, not from analyst opinions.
What is the P/E ratio of IMB?
Imperial Brands PLC trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.0 (as of Nov 9, 2026). A P/E on its own says little: it compares the price with ONE year of profit, while our fair value of £57.55 is built from several models across several years. Median P/E at fiscal year-end, 10 fiscal years (2016 to 2025), reported earnings: 12.0. Other multiples: PEG 0.7, P/B 4.9, P/S 1.2, EV/EBITDA 7.7.
What is the PEG ratio of IMB?
The PEG ratio of Imperial Brands PLC is 0.68 (P/E divided by earnings growth, as of Nov 9, 2026). That is below 1, so growth is priced more cheaply than the earnings multiple alone suggests.
How solid is the balance sheet of Imperial Brands PLC (IMB)?
Balance-sheet figures for Imperial Brands PLC (as of Nov 9, 2026): return on equity 37.2%, debt of 1.77 per unit of equity. They feed the Quality Score of 66/100, which measures business quality independently of the share price.
How far is IMB from its 52-week high?
Imperial Brands PLC trades at £29.73, about 6% below its 52-week high of £31.75 and 23% above the low of £24.24 (as of Nov 6, 2026). Distance from the high says nothing about value: that is what the fair value of £57.55 is for.
Which stocks are comparable to Imperial Brands PLC?
From the same area (Consumer Defensive) we also value Philip Morris International Inc, Altria Group, British American Tobacco p.l.c., ITC Limited, among others. Each of them has its own fair-value calculation on this site using the same models, so the comparison is like for like.
Is Imperial Brands PLC stock attractive at the current price?
The data as of Nov 9, 2026: price £29.73, calculated fair value £57.55 (+94%), Quality Score 66/100, from 24 models. Whether that fits your horizon and risk tolerance is your call. We provide the calculation, not investment advice.
How is the fair value of IMB calculated?
We run Imperial Brands PLC through 24 models from 7 families: DCF Models, Earnings-Based, Dividend Discount, Multiples, Growth DCF, Economic Profit, Growth Earnings. Every model gets the same audited fundamentals; the fair value of £57.55 builds on their evidence-weighted average, with the spread shown as a cautious and an optimistic scenario.
Is it still worth investing in stocks now?
The global stock market currently sits 13.3% above its aggregate fair value. Imperial Brands PLC currently trades 48% below its own fair value, and the market average says nothing about that. An expensive market is no reason to stay out and no reason to buy everything at once: keep a broad savings plan running, buy single stocks only with money you can do without, and hold part of your money liquid while the market is high. The full picture including sectors is on is it worth investing now.
What is the share price of Imperial Brands PLC (IMB)?
The closing price on Nov 6, 2026 was £29.73. Our model-based fair value is £57.55, about +94% upside (undervalued). We carry closing prices from our data provider, not a live tick.
What should I pay attention to with Imperial Brands PLC right now?
The price is below even our cautious bear case (£34.83). The market is more pessimistic than our downside scenario. Solid quality (66/100) at a price below fair value, the discount is the argument here, not the business quality. A fairly wide model range (£34.83 to £72.42) leaves room in how you read the outcome.
Where does the earnings growth of Imperial Brands PLC (IMB) come from?
Earnings per share at Imperial Brands PLC grew +8.3 % a year from 2014 to 2025. Broken into its drivers: revenue per share +3.3 %, EBIT margin +3.6 %, tax rate −1.6 %, residual (interest, one-offs) +2.9 %. The four rates multiply to the earnings growth rate, they do not add up. Start and end are three-year averages so a single exceptional year does not distort the result.
Key figures of Imperial Brands PLC
How large is the market capitalisation of Imperial Brands PLC (IMB)?
The market capitalisation of Imperial Brands PLC is £23.8B. The stock-market value of the whole company: share price times number of shares. It is what the market asks for the entire business today.
What is the P/S ratio of Imperial Brands PLC (IMB)?
The price-to-sales ratio of Imperial Brands PLC is 1.22 (last twelve months). Price to sales: market value relative to yearly revenue. Useful when profit is thin or distorted.
What are the earnings per share of Imperial Brands PLC (IMB)?
Earnings per share at Imperial Brands PLC are £2.13 (price ÷ EPS = P/E 14.0). Earnings per share over the last twelve months: total profit spread across every single share.
What is the dividend yield of Imperial Brands PLC (IMB)?
The dividend yield of Imperial Brands PLC is 6.9% (payout 96.4%). Yearly dividend relative to the share price. 3% pays 3 per 100 invested. Below: how much of profit is used for it.
What is the net margin of Imperial Brands PLC (IMB)?
The net margin of Imperial Brands PLC is 9.0% (last twelve months). How much of every unit of revenue ends up as profit. 10% means 10 cents of profit per dollar of sales.
What is the return on equity of Imperial Brands PLC (IMB)?
The return on equity (ROE) of Imperial Brands PLC is 37.2% (last twelve months). Profit relative to shareholders' equity, how efficiently the company works with its owners' money.
What is the EBIT return on assets of Imperial Brands PLC (IMB)?
On an EBIT basis the return on assets of Imperial Brands PLC is 11.6% (avg 5y). Operating profit (EBIT) relative to everything the company owns, as a multi-year average. It describes the business model rather than one good or bad year.
What is the operating margin of Imperial Brands PLC (IMB)?
The operating margin of Imperial Brands PLC is 16.0% (last twelve months). Profit from the core business (before interest and taxes) relative to revenue.
How fast is revenue growing at Imperial Brands PLC (IMB)?
Revenue at Imperial Brands PLC is growing +4.9% versus a year earlier (3y avg −0.4%). How much revenue grew versus a year earlier (YoY). The 3-year average next to it puts the single year in context.
How fast are earnings growing at Imperial Brands PLC (IMB)?
Earnings per share at Imperial Brands PLC are growing −38.2% versus a year earlier. How much earnings per share grew versus a year earlier.
How much net debt does Imperial Brands PLC (IMB) carry?
The net debt of Imperial Brands PLC is £8.6B (fiscal year 2025, ≈ 3.0 yrs of FCF). Debt minus cash on hand. The note shows how many years of free cash flow could in theory pay it off.
Free · no account needed
Watch Imperial Brands PLC in the live analysis
One click puts Imperial Brands PLC on your watchlist: fair value and trend at a glance, plus comparison, the diversification check and the 27,000+ stock screener.
Some data
Nov 9, 2026