StockNews.com Downgrades British American Tobacco (NYSE:BTI) to Hold

StockNews.com lowered shares of British American Tobacco (NYSE:BTI) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Monday morning.

British American Tobacco Stock Performance

BTI stock opened at $30.36 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $29.78 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $30.09. British American Tobacco has a 12-month low of $28.25 and a 12-month high of $35.38.

British American Tobacco Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 6th. Investors of record on Friday, December 20th will be issued a $0.7431 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 20th. This represents a $2.97 annualized dividend and a yield of 9.79%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On British American Tobacco

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Capital Research Global Investors boosted its position in British American Tobacco by 38.5% during the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 15,316,688 shares of the company’s stock worth $448,625,000 after purchasing an additional 4,259,548 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco by 34.0% during the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,568,285 shares of the company’s stock valued at $80,670,000 after buying an additional 650,979 shares during the period. Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC boosted its holdings in British American Tobacco by 39.0% in the 3rd quarter. Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC now owns 2,115,007 shares of the company’s stock worth $66,432,000 after acquiring an additional 593,035 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors L.P. raised its stake in shares of British American Tobacco by 15.2% during the fourth quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 2,099,969 shares of the company’s stock valued at $61,508,000 after purchasing an additional 276,890 shares during the period. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of British American Tobacco by 24.8% in the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 1,845,788 shares of the company’s stock valued at $54,063,000 after purchasing an additional 366,692 shares during the period. 21.44% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About British American Tobacco

British American Tobacco p.l.c. engages in the provision of tobacco and nicotine products to consumers worldwide. It also offers vapour, heated, and modern oral nicotine products; combustible cigarettes; and traditional oral products, such as snus and moist snuff. The company offers its products under the Vuse, glo, Velo, Grizzly, Kodiak, Dunhill, Kent, Lucky Strike, Pall Mall, Rothmans, Camel, Natural American Spirit, Newport, Vogue, Viceroy, Kool, Peter Stuyvesant, Craven A, State Express 555 and Shuang Xi brands.