Shares of cigarette manufacturers surged on February 6, snapping a multi-day losing streak after sustained underperformance. ITC shares jumped nearly 6 percent to an intraday high of ₹327.7 before paring some gains to close over 5 percent higher at ₹326.35. Godfrey Phillips India also witnessed strong buying interest, with its stock rallying almost 13 percent to ₹2,229.50 during the session and settling around 10 percent higher at ₹2,174. The rally followed a positive outlook from Nuvama, which said in a recent note that the “worst is behind” for cigarette stocks, according to NDTV Profit. By virtue of all these developments the stock prices of cigarette companies are likely to remain in focus on Monday 9th February.
The brokerage observed that manufacturers have already begun raising cigarette prices, which should help soften the impact of higher taxes. It added that volume growth is expected to stabilise, with no major double-digit decline anticipated in the coming year. According to Nuvama, cigarette companies continue to demonstrate strong pricing strength and are likely to announce two to three phased price increases over the next few months. This, it said, should fully absorb the recent tax burden. The brokerage also does not foresee any meaningful tax hikes over the next two years, offering improved earnings clarity and making current valuations attractive after the recent sell-off.
Heavy block deal activity further supported ITC’s rally, with more than 1.3 crore shares exchanged at an average price of ₹321.80 — around 4 percent above the previous close of ₹310.2. The sector-wide rebound was also driven by bargain hunting after sharp declines in January, when ITC, Godfrey Phillips India, and VST Industries lost 20.1 percent, 26.3 percent, and 8.9 percent, respectively, following the government’s tax hike announcement.
In terms of financial performance, ITC posted a 6.4 percent year-on-year increase in consolidated profit at ₹5,087.87 crore for Q3 FY26, while its operating revenue grew 6.66 percent to ₹21,706.64 crore. Godfrey Phillips India reported a 9 percent rise in net profit to ₹343.29 crore, supported by a nearly 16 percent jump in quarterly revenue to ₹2,189.93 crore. The FMCG major has also announced dividend payout for their investors. FMCG-to-cigarettes major announced an interim dividend of ₹6.50 per equity share of face value ₹1 each for the financial year ending March 31, 2026
Godfrey Phillips India owns popular cigarette brands including Four Square, Red and White, Cavanders, Tipper, and North Pole, and also produces Marlboro in India under a licensing arrangement with Philip Morris. The recent rally in its shares comes ahead of the quarterly results announcement of its parent company, Philip Morris.