E-cigarettes and heated tobacco sales in Europe boost shares in Imperial Brands 

Maker of Winston cigarettes has 'five-year strategy to shift to tobacco alternatives'

Cigarette makers are trying to tap new and potentially less harmful alternatives.

Imperial Brands is on track to meet its full-year goals helped by strong sales of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco sales in Europe, it said, boosting its shares to a more than two-year high.

Shares of the maker of Winston cigarettes and Backwoods cigars rose as much as 7%, the second-best performance on the Stoxx Europe 600 index.