Reynolds American and Lorillard in merger talks

[Katya]

Exclusive: Reynolds American, Lorillard in advanced merger talks

Buying Lorillard would boost Reynolds' position in the fast-growing electronic cigarettes market at a time when U.S. tobacco companies are grappling with declining sales due to government regulation. Lorillard's blu product is the leading e-cigarette brand, with a U.S. market share of around 50 percent.
E-cigarettes are crucial to the three major U.S. tobacco companies, which have bought or developed their own brands in recent years. Sales of the electronic products in the U.S. are expected to outpace traditional cigarettes by 2020.

 

[Roger_Lafayette]

We've been hearing about this for months. Is it really going to happen?

 

[AgentAnia]

And is it true that Lorillard is taking Blu to Europe?

 

[Katya]

Good questions, Roger and AA...

I'm just enjoying the fact that BT is afraid of us.

"Sales of the electronic products in the U.S. are expected to outpace traditional cigarettes by 2020."

 

[Kent C]

A study in how governments create monopolies, despite the so-called TrustBuster progressives.

 

[AgentAnia]

Just got off my .... and googled "lorillard blu europe" and sure enough, Bloomberg (news svc, not nanny) is reporting that Lorillard is going to start selling Blu in Europe later this year. So if the merger goes through, RAI will have a foot in the EU door. Interesting....

 

[Katya]

A study in how governments create monopolies, despite the so-called TrustBuster progressives.

A tobacco company that's too big to fail? Now that's a scary thought.

 

[Kent C]

A tobacco company that's too big to fail? Now that's a scary thought.

IG Farben was 'too big to fail'. How many eyes will be opened in all of this. 1? maybe 2? sigh....