Lorillard Inc, the manufacturer of Newport, Maverick and True cigarettes announces its first-quarter profit to register a 26% surge Monday triggered by domestic product shipments and soaring prices.

''We have achieved these results despite challenging market conditions'', Chairman, President and CEO Martin Orlowsky said in a statement.

In addition, the tobacco companies revealed that higher federal excise taxes on smokes served as a backing to its revenue. Its stock marked a rise 85 cents touching $80.42 in premarket trading.

Moreover, its earnings witnessed a jump to $232 million, or $1.50 per share, in the three months ended March 31, compared to $184 million, or $1.09 a share, the previous year.

The earnings marked a clean sweep from the $1.22 per-share profit speculated by analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters.

The nation's third-biggest cigarette maker's revenue also grew to $1.36 billion from $917 million triggered by the 48.7 percent rise in domestic wholesale shipments of discount brand Maverick.

However, excluding $287 million related to the April 1, 2009, federal cigarette tax increase, revenue was posted to be $923 million attribute by soaring average prices, lowered promotions and raised net unit sales volume.