Imperial Brand's non-exec takes advantage of share price weakness

Shareholders in tobacco giant Imperial Brands (IMB) should feel more confident after the company’s non-executive director Simon Langelier brought 24,100 shares last week in a transaction worth £830,666. The shares have slipped by around 14 per cent over the past year as falling tobacco volumes have made investors nervous. This volume decline has also fuelled speculation that Imperial Brands could be the next takeover target as part of wider industry consolidation, although chief executive Allison Cooper played down the idea at time of the half-year results.