Crawford Investment Counsel Inc. Buys Shares of 353,580 British American Tobacco p.l.c. $BTI

Crawford Investment Counsel Inc. purchased a new position in British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 353,580 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,768,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. True Wealth Design LLC bought a new stake in British American Tobacco during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Cary Street Partners Financial LLC bought a new position in British American Tobacco in the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco by 48.6% in the third quarter. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. now owns 633 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 207 shares during the period. Binnacle Investments Inc increased its position in shares of British American Tobacco by 163.2% during the third quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc now owns 750 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 465 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco by 100.0% during the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 782 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 391 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 16.16% of the company’s stock.

British American Tobacco Stock Up 0.1%

British American Tobacco stock opened at $59.93 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a current ratio of 0.87. The company’s 50-day moving average is $59.37 and its 200-day moving average is $56.42. British American Tobacco p.l.c. has a fifty-two week low of $37.96 and a fifty-two week high of $63.22.

British American Tobacco Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 8th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 29th will be given a dividend of $0.8349 per share. This represents a $3.34 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 29th.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on BTI shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded British American Tobacco from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a research report on Friday, November 28th. Kepler Capital Markets started coverage on British American Tobacco in a report on Friday, December 12th. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Wall Street Zen lowered British American Tobacco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $51.00.

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.