British American Tobacco p.l.c. $BTI Shares Purchased by Viking Fund Management LLC

Viking Fund Management LLC raised its stake in shares of British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI) by 26.1% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 290,000 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 60,000 shares during the period. British American Tobacco accounts for about 1.3% of Viking Fund Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest position. Viking Fund Management LLC’s holdings in British American Tobacco were worth $15,776,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in British American Tobacco by 34.4% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 9,736,843 shares of the company’s stock worth $569,313,000 after buying an additional 2,494,576 shares in the last quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of British American Tobacco by 3,899.7% during the first quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 2,362,818 shares of the company’s stock valued at $137,658,000 after acquiring an additional 2,303,743 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its position in British American Tobacco by 710.3% during the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 748,245 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,212,000 after purchasing an additional 655,908 shares in the last quarter. Maple Rock Capital Partners Inc. raised its stake in British American Tobacco by 36.3% in the 2nd quarter. Maple Rock Capital Partners Inc. now owns 2,166,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $133,772,000 after purchasing an additional 576,900 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. raised its stake in British American Tobacco by 75.3% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 1,303,646 shares of the company’s stock valued at $76,223,000 after purchasing an additional 559,858 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 16.16% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have issued reports on BTI. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a research note on Monday, August 31st. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of British American Tobacco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, August 9th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. SBG Securities raised British American Tobacco to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Morningstar upgraded British American Tobacco to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $68.10.

British American Tobacco Stock Up 1.7%

British American Tobacco stock opened at $56.61 on Thursday. British American Tobacco p.l.c. has a one year low of $49.88 and a one year high of $67.30. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $55.80 and its 200 day moving average price is $58.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.50.

British American Tobacco (NYSE:BTI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The company reported $1.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.21 by ($1.10). The business had revenue of $8.10 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.42 billion. Research analysts forecast that British American Tobacco p.l.c. will post 4.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

British American Tobacco Company Profile

British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI) is a multinational consumer goods company focused on nicotine and tobacco products. Its portfolio includes traditional cigarettes, heated tobacco products, vapor products and modern oral nicotine products, including nicotine pouches. The company markets products under brands such as Dunhill, Kent, Lucky Strike, Pall Mall, Rothmans and Vuse, with additional brands varying by market.

Founded in 1902 through the combination of the Imperial Tobacco Company and the American Tobacco Company, British American Tobacco has developed into an international business serving markets across the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.