British American Tobacco (NYSE:BTI) Downgraded by Wall Street Zen to Hold

British American Tobacco (NYSE:BTI) was downgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued on Sunday.

BTI has been the subject of a number of other reports. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a research report on Friday, November 28th. Kepler Capital Markets began coverage on shares of British American Tobacco in a research note on Friday, December 12th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. 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. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a research note on Friday, November 28th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an “underweight” rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $51.00.

British American Tobacco Price Performance

BTI stock opened at $59.93 on Friday. British American Tobacco has a 1-year low of $37.96 and a 1-year high of $63.22. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $59.37 and its 200 day simple moving average is $56.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.57.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On British American Tobacco

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BTI. World Investment Advisors lifted its position in shares of British American Tobacco by 90.7% during the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 26,309 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,490,000 after acquiring an additional 12,516 shares during the period. Larry Mathis Financial Planning LLC bought a new position in shares of British American Tobacco in the fourth quarter worth $455,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in British American Tobacco by 10.3% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 48,443 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,744,000 after purchasing an additional 4,523 shares in the last quarter. Bayban bought a new stake in British American Tobacco during the fourth quarter worth about $240,000. Finally, Pure Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in British American Tobacco during the fourth quarter worth about $241,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 16.16% of the company’s stock.

About British American Tobacco

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.