Resilient positions in profitable markets, sustaining high profitability and cash-flow generation; Unrivalled geographical diversity, including significant exposure to growing markets; and Conservative financial profile. Litigation risks: most acutely in, although not limited to, the U.S.; Rising price sensitivity and market segmentation in mature markets; and Decreasing social acceptance of the cigarette, and declining overall consumption. (Editor's note: In the fourth paragraph of the Rationale section, references to "total debt" have been replaced by "net debt." In the U.S. Litigation section within the Business Description, the penultimate sentence of the second paragraph has been revised for clarity. An additional sentence has been included at the end of the article. A corrected version of the article follows.) The ratings on British American
