BAT earnings up and says confident for future

LONDON (Reuters) - British American Tobacco (BATS.L), the world's second-biggest cigarette maker, posted a 16 percent rise in first-half earnings on Thursday and added it looked to the future with confidence.

The London-based group which makes Kent, Dunhill, Lucky Strike and Pall Mall cigarettes, reported adjusted diluted earnings per share of 62.02 pence in the first six months of 2008 ahead of analysts' forecasts ranging from 60.1 to 61.1p with a consensus of 60.5p in a Reuters poll.

The half-year dividend rose 19 percent to 22.1p a share.

(Reporting by David Jones)