British American Tobacco Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:BTI)

British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI) was the target of some unusual options trading on Thursday. Investors bought 40,260 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 327% compared to the average daily volume of 9,420 call options.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on BTI shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a research note on Friday, November 28th. Morgan Stanley restated an “underweight” rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of British American Tobacco from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of British American Tobacco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, March 15th. Finally, Kepler Capital Markets started coverage on shares of British American Tobacco in a research report on Friday, December 12th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $51.00.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On British American Tobacco

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. First Command Advisory Services Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco by 1,386.7% in the 4th quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. now owns 446 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 416 shares during the last quarter. Glen Eagle Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in British American Tobacco in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new stake in British American Tobacco in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Cary Street Partners Financial LLC purchased a new stake in British American Tobacco in the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Salem Investment Counselors Inc. lifted its stake in British American Tobacco by 48.6% during the third quarter. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. now owns 633 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 207 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 16.16% of the company’s stock.

British American Tobacco Stock Performance

Shares of British American Tobacco stock opened at $58.23 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $59.93 and its 200 day moving average price is $56.58. The company has a current ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. British American Tobacco has a one year low of $37.96 and a one year high of $63.22.

British American Tobacco Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 8th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 29th will be issued a dividend of $0.8349 per share. This represents a $3.34 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 29th.

British American Tobacco Company Profile

British American Tobacco plc (BTI) is a multinational tobacco manufacturer and nicotine products company headquartered in London. Founded in 1902 as a joint venture to commercialize tobacco products outside the United States, the company has grown into one of the world’s largest tobacco firms with a long history in manufacturing and global distribution of combustible tobacco products.

BAT’s core business remains the manufacture and sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products under a portfolio of well-known consumer brands, including Dunhill, Lucky Strike, Pall Mall, Kent and Rothmans.