British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eight brokerages that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation and seven have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $62.00.

A number of brokerages have commented on BTI. Wall Street Zen lowered British American Tobacco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, August 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “underperform” rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a research note on Monday, June 8th. Finally, BTIG Research started coverage on shares of British American Tobacco in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a “buy” rating for the company.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On British American Tobacco

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of BTI. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco by 34.7% during the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 307,311 shares of the company’s stock worth $18,980,000 after acquiring an additional 79,084 shares during the period. Dearborn Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of British American Tobacco during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $444,000. First Bank & Trust increased its stake in British American Tobacco by 7.2% in the second quarter. First Bank & Trust now owns 78,564 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,852,000 after acquiring an additional 5,292 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Science Advisors LLC raised its position in British American Tobacco by 8.2% during the second quarter. Wealth Science Advisors LLC now owns 41,968 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,592,000 after purchasing an additional 3,186 shares in the last quarter. Finally, HF Advisory Group LLC lifted its stake in British American Tobacco by 8.0% during the second quarter. HF Advisory Group LLC now owns 55,111 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,404,000 after purchasing an additional 4,087 shares during the last quarter. 16.16% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

British American Tobacco Price Performance

BTI opened at $55.97 on Thursday. British American Tobacco has a 12-month low of $49.88 and a 12-month high of $67.30. The business has a 50 day moving average of $60.20 and a 200-day moving average of $60.19. The company has a quick ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64.

British American Tobacco (NYSE:BTI) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The company reported $1.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.21 by ($1.10). The firm had revenue of $8.10 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.42 billion. As a group, research analysts predict that British American Tobacco will post 4.84 earnings per share for the current year.

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.