British American Tobacco (NYSE:BTI) Stock Rating Upgraded by Wall Street Zen

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

A number of other analysts have also commented on the stock. 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. Kepler Capital Markets initiated coverage on British American Tobacco in a research report on Friday, December 12th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “underweight” rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a report on Friday, November 28th. Finally, Citigroup restated a “buy” rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a report on Friday, November 28th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $51.00.

British American Tobacco Stock Down 0.0%

BTI opened at $57.79 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $59.92 and a 200 day simple moving average of $56.59. British American Tobacco has a fifty-two week low of $37.96 and a fifty-two week high of $63.22. 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 Trading of British American Tobacco

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BTI. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. grew its stake in British American Tobacco by 89.0% in the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 12,176 shares of the company’s stock valued at $689,000 after acquiring an additional 5,732 shares during the period. World Investment Advisors lifted its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 12,516 shares in the last quarter. Larry Mathis Financial Planning LLC acquired a new position in shares of British American Tobacco in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $455,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC increased its stake in British American Tobacco by 10.3% during the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 48,443 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,744,000 after purchasing an additional 4,523 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bayban bought a new stake in British American Tobacco during the 4th quarter worth approximately $240,000. 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.