http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/org/ust.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/06-26-2008/0004839870&EDATE= http://tobacco.org/news/267697.html UST Inc. (NYSE: UST) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Murray S. Kessler will highlight the company's continuing success at driving moist smokeless tobacco category growth and why the company believes this growth will continue over the long-term at the JPMorgan Global Tobacco Conference in London on June 27. Kessler will point out that moist smokeless tobacco has become one of the fastest growing consumer packaged goods categories at retail, growing six percent compounded annually since 2004. He will describe the company's ongoing success in attracting adult cigarette smokers to moist smokeless tobacco, enabling the company to generate profitable volume growth. PR Newswire Thu, 26 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://seekingalpha.com/article/81783-smokeless-tobacco-players-who-will-come-out-on-top?source=yahoo http://tobacco.org/news/267227.html Despite the 6.5% yield, RAI is trading around its 52-week low of $51.08. RAI has been taking hits in the headwinds of analyst downgrades and lowered guidance, but trading flat since May 1st. This is not the Conwood division's fault; the producer of the discount dip posted double digit volume growth, according to the Winston-Salem Journal. In fact, Conwood has huge growth opportunities, making up only 4% of revenues in 2006. RAI should follow in UST's footsteps and start to market more varieties of its discount products. Is it time to try to catch a bit of a, I don't know, let's call it a falling butter knife? Execs must think so after initiating a $350 million buyback program for the forward twelve months. RAI has a strong balance sheet; lots of cash, in other words, your 6.5% yield is safe. Now, time your entrance point right or cost-average down and you'll mint money. One last thought to ponder: Altria (MO), better known as Philip Morris USA, is testing its own smokeless tobacco product. If market penetration proves difficult for big MO, will either subsidiary be ripe for acquisition by the tobacco giant? Would not be a big surprise to me. Seeking Alpha blog network advertising@seekingalpha.com (Steve Farrington) Wed, 18 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080618/ust_lobbying.html?.v=1 http://tobacco.org/news/267118.html Smokeless tobacco and wine producer UST Inc. spent $650,000 in the first quarter to lobby on tobacco-related legislation and other issues, according to two disclosure reports. The Stamford, Conn.-based holding company for Skoal tobacco and Ste. Michelle wines lobbied on legislation pertaining to smoking prevention and tobacco control, a bill to combat illegal tobacco trafficking, taxes and other matters. AP Wed, 18 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080609/nym102.html?.v=101 http://tobacco.org/news/266828.html UST Inc. (NYSE: UST) announced today that Gary B. Glass, age 42, has joined UST as vice president, general counsel and assistant secretary. He has assumed responsibility for all legal functions at UST. Glass comes to UST with a strong record of accomplishment in the legal profession as a senior in-house corporate attorney, outside litigation counsel and prosecutor. Most recently, he served as senior assistant general counsel, responsible for litigation and compliance, for Altria Group, Inc. PR Newswire Mon, 09 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080610/nytu072.html?.v=101 http://tobacco.org/news/266827.html UST Inc. (NYSE: UST) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Murray S. Kessler will present at the JPMorgan Global Tobacco Conference on June 27, 2008 at 7:00 a.m. Eastern time. The audio portion of the presentation will be webcast live at www.ustinc.com. The webcast will be archived for 60 days. PR Newswire Tue, 10 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.harmreductionjournal.com/content/pdf/1477-7517-5-18.pdf http://tobacco.org/news/265911.html Conclusions• This study documents that switching to ST compares very favorably with• pharmaceutical nicotine as a quit-smoking aid among American men, despite the fact that few smokers know that the switch provides almost all of the health benefits of complete• tobacco abstinence. As long as American smokers are misinformed about the• comparative risks of ST and cigarettes, most will not consider trying to switch, or will do• so only reluctantly. A social and public health environment that honestly informs• smokers about comparative risks would provide many more smokers with the opportunity• to lead longer and healthier lives.• Competing Interests• This study was supported by unrestricted grants from smokeless tobacco manufacturers• to the University of Louisville (US Smokeless Tobacco Company and Swedish Match• AB) and to the University of Alberta (USSTC). The terms of the grants assure that the• grantors are unaware of this study, and thus had no scientific input or other influence with• respect to its design, analysis, interpretation or preparation of the manuscript. • Dr. Rodu has no financial or other personal relationship with regard to the grantors. Dr.• Phillips has provided consulting services to USSTC in the context of product liability• litigation.• Harm Reduction Journal Fri, 23 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/05-22-2008/0004819672&EDATE= http://tobacco.org/news/265851.html George C. Freeman, III, President and Chief Executive Officer of Universal Corporation (NYSE: UVV), announced strong results for the fiscal year that ended on March 31, 2008, despite a decline in fourth quarter results that was due in large part to earlier shipments this year that benefited the first three fiscal quarters. Income from continuing operations and net income for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2008, which ended on March 31, 2008, was $9.9 million, or $0.23 per diluted share. Last year's results from continuing operations for the same quarter were $21.1 million, or $0.65 per diluted share. Results were significantly lower than last year's fourth quarter because of timing differences, as several regions completed their annual shipments earlier than last year. PR Newswire Thu, 22 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/05-06-2008/0004807591&EDATE= http://tobacco.org/news/264777.html The Board of Directors of UST Inc. (NYSE: UST) today declared a regular quarterly dividend of 63 cents per common share, payable June 30, 2008 to stockholders of record at the close of business June 16, 2008. PR Newswire Tue, 06 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/04-30-2008/0004803415&EDATE= http://tobacco.org/news/264337.html UST Inc. (NYSE: UST) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Murray S. Kessler will present at the Goldman Sachs & Co. Consumer Products Symposium on May 12, 2008 at 3:50 p.m. Eastern time. The audio portion of the presentation will be webcast live at http://www.ustinc.com. The webcast will be archived for 60 days. PR Newswire Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.denverpost.com/entertainment/ci_9030484 http://tobacco.org/news/263982.html As many expected, a city-wide ban on free sampling of tobacco has led U.S. Smokeless Tobacco to withdraw its placement of a $200,000 scoreboard at the Greeley Stampede. A major sponsor of the annual Stampede, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco decided this week not to provide the scoreboard this year as they have in the past. Stampede officials will now need to rent a $25,000 scoreboard for the two-week event and hope sponsors step forward to defray the cost. "We've made some offers to different companies," said Greeley Stampede CEO Lynn Settje. "At this point we've not gotten any nibbles." U.S. Smokeless Tobacco spokesman Andrew Lee said Greeley's vote in December to stop free sampling of tobacco in the city played a role in the company's decision. "The scoreboard is in great demand at events across the country and the folks who run that program have a difficult choice to make as to when and where it will be used," Lee said. "Where we have the ability to responsibly distribute our samples is one factor they have to consider." Denver Post Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20080423/NEWS/763659825 http://tobacco.org/news/263981.html As Greeley Stampede officials search for a new scoreboard sponsor for this year's Stampede, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco officials insisted Wednesday they will remain a partial sponsor of the events. UST has strong sponsorship ties to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, which holds several rodeo events at the Stampede, so their presence at the Stampede will still probably be visible, said Mark Reinert, chairman of the Greeley Stampede Board of Directors. Reinert said the Stampede committee is trying to find new sponsors to help raise the $25,000 to rent a scoreboard for the 12-day festivities, but that a lot of businesses in the area have already been tapped. "We've been pursuing renting (a scoreboard) for a long time," Greeley Tribune avillegas@greeleytribune.com (Andrew Villegas) Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.greeleytrib.com/article/20080423/NEWS/562485062 http://tobacco.org/news/263980.html U.S. Smokeless Tobacco has pulled its sponsorship of the Greeley Stampede and with it a $200,000 scoreboard after Greeley officials decided late last year to ban free sampling of tobacco in the city. The Greeley City Council passed a citywide ban on the free distribution of tobacco in early December on a contentious 4-3 vote. Opponents of the ban said government shouldn't take the choice to use tobacco out of the public's hands, but proponents insisted that a ban was necessary to protect the health of the public. Denver and Boulder have similar bans on the free distribution of tobacco as do 390 communities around the nation. But UST still sponsors and is allowed to provide free samples at the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo. It also sponsors the Cheyenne Frontier Days. . . . Andrew Lee, spokesman for U.S. Smokeless Tobacco said in December that the company "prefers to sponsor events that allow sampling." Greeley Mayor Ed Clark, who voted against the tobacco sampling ban in December, said Greeley has to support the Stampede after the Council banned tobacco giveaways. "I think we owe them at least 2,000 bucks," Clark said. Greeley Tribune avillegas@greeleytribune.com (Andrew Villegas) Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/04-14-2008/0004792082&EDATE= http://tobacco.org/news/263762.html UST Inc. (NYSE: UST) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Murray S. Kessler and members of his executive team will discuss first quarter results in a live audio webcast at http://www.ustinc.com on Thursday, April 24, 2008 starting at 9 a.m. Eastern time. A press release announcing results will be issued earlier that morning. During the webcast, Kessler also will answer questions from the investment community. The webcast will be in a listen-only mode. PR Newswire Mon, 14 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080402/ust_mover.html?.v=1 http://tobacco.org/news/262689.html Analyst Judy E. Hong lowered her rating to "Neutral" from "Buy" and took the stock off the Americas Buy List. She said in a note to investors the shares have "limited upside potential" compared to tobacco competitors Altria Group Inc. and the newly spun-off Philip Morris International Inc. AP Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/04-03-2008/0004786307&EDATE= http://tobacco.org/news/262566.html UST Inc. (NYSE: UST) announced today that two of its executives, Todd A. Walker and Kenneth N. Tamaro, have been promoted and will take on additional responsibilities with the company. Walker, age 41, has been named vice president, government relations and public policy, while Tamaro, age 51, has been appointed treasurer for UST, in addition to his existing responsibilities as vice president, tax. PR Newswire Thu, 03 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT