It launched the deeply discounted fundraising last month to help pay for its £9.3billion takeover of Spanish rival Altadis.

The cash call, the third-biggest in UK corporate history behind Royal Bank of Scotland’s recent £12billion rights issue and the £5.9billion raised by BT seven years ago, was fully underwritten by Hoare Govett, Morgan Stanley, Citi and Lehman Brothers.

They will place the remaining 9.5 million new shares. Shareholders were offered one new share for every two existing shares at 1475p. Imperial shares closed yesterday up 18p at 2041p.

Analysts said the take-up was ­better than expected at a time when a number of UK companies were passing the begging bowl among investors to raise cash.

Broker Credit Suisse argued the “technical factors” that had held back Imperial’s share price were dissipating, enabling the market to focus on the company’s broad appeal.