BAT Industries, which has interests in financial services and tobacco processing, announced yesterday that the group increased half yearly pre tax profits by 12 per cent on a 12 month comparison to £1.33 billion sterling. The results were at the top end of the expectations of analysts, who had forecast that the group would earn profits for the six months to June 30th of £1.26 billion to £1.33 billion. The group said that it would increase dividend payments to shareholders from 9.25p to 10p per share.