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Swedish Match Net Tops Estimates; Payouts May Rise (Update2) 

Swedish Match AB, the world's second-largest maker of snuff and chewing tobacco, posted third- quarter profit that beat analysts' estimates and said it may use higher debt levels to step up dividends and buybacks.

Net income was 491 million kronor ($76 million), or 1.88 kronor a share, in the three months ended Sept. 30, a 22 percent drop from last year's 627 million kronor, or 2.22 kronor per share, as tobacco taxes increased. The median of five analyst estimates in a Bloomberg survey was 477 million kronor.

The shares rose the most in a month.

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