British American Tobacco (NYSE:BTI) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of British American Tobacco (NYSE:BTI) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Friday.

Several other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on BTI. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a report on Friday, June 13th. Bank of America initiated coverage on British American Tobacco in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on British American Tobacco in a report on Wednesday, July 9th. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, British American Tobacco currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $33.00.

British American Tobacco Stock Up 0.5%

British American Tobacco stock opened at $51.61 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a current ratio of 0.76. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $47.17 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $42.61. The company has a market cap of $106.46 billion, a PE ratio of 10.60, a PEG ratio of 4.75 and a beta of 0.33. British American Tobacco has a fifty-two week low of $33.18 and a fifty-two week high of $52.38.

British American Tobacco Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.7391 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 27th. This represents a dividend yield of 5.99%. British American Tobacco’s payout ratio is currently 60.78%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On British American Tobacco

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Capital International Investors raised its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco by 17.1% during the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 38,873,006 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,411,179,000 after acquiring an additional 5,673,619 shares during the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors raised its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 15,594,361 shares of the company’s stock valued at $566,381,000 after acquiring an additional 47,439 shares during the last quarter. Orbis Allan Gray Ltd raised its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco by 20.4% during the first quarter. Orbis Allan Gray Ltd now owns 12,021,231 shares of the company’s stock valued at $497,318,000 after acquiring an additional 2,040,011 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC grew its position in shares of British American Tobacco by 44.0% in the fourth quarter. FMR LLC now owns 10,232,402 shares of the company’s stock valued at $371,641,000 after purchasing an additional 3,127,046 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GQG Partners LLC grew its position in shares of British American Tobacco by 59.8% in the first quarter. GQG Partners LLC now owns 9,598,465 shares of the company’s stock valued at $397,089,000 after purchasing an additional 3,590,916 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 16.16% of the company’s stock.

About British American Tobacco

British American Tobacco p.l.c. engages in the provision of tobacco and nicotine products to consumers worldwide. It also offers vapour, heated, and modern oral nicotine products; combustible cigarettes; and traditional oral products, such as snus and moist snuff. The company offers its products under the Vuse, glo, Velo, Grizzly, Kodiak, Dunhill, Kent, Lucky Strike, Pall Mall, Rothmans, Camel, Natural American Spirit, Newport, Vogue, Viceroy, Kool, Peter Stuyvesant, Craven A, State Express 555 and Shuang Xi brands.