Japan Tob (OTCMKTS:JAPAY) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded Japan Tobacco from “hold” to “strong buy.” BTIG Research separately initiated coverage with a “buy” rating, while the overall analyst consensus is “moderate buy” with a $17.00 target price.
• Japan Tobacco shares opened at $22.94, compared with a 52-week range of $16.74 to $24.54. The stock’s 50-day and 200-day moving averages were $22.33 and $19.97, respectively.
• The company’s latest quarterly results slightly missed expectations, reporting $0.33 EPS versus a $0.35 estimate and revenue of $6.37 billion versus $6.45 billion expected.

Japan Tob (OTCMKTS:JAPAY - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report issued on Thursday, Zacks reports.

Separately, BTIG Research initiated coverage on Japan Tob in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. They set a "buy" rating for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $17.00.

Japan Tob Price Performance

Shares of Japan Tob stock opened at $22.94 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.45 and a current ratio of 2.04. The stock's 50-day moving average is $22.33 and its 200-day moving average is $19.97. Japan Tob has a one year low of $16.74 and a one year high of $24.54.

Japan Tob (OTCMKTS:JAPAY - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $0.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.35 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $6.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.45 billion. Research analysts anticipate that Japan Tob will post 1.16 earnings per share for the current year.

Japan Tob Company Profile

Japan Tobacco Inc is a Japan-based company engaged primarily in the manufacture and sale of tobacco products. Its portfolio includes cigarettes, heated tobacco products and other reduced-risk products, marketed under brands such as Winston, Camel, Mevius and LD in various markets.

The company also operates businesses in pharmaceutical products and processed foods. Its pharmaceutical operations focus on prescription medicines, while its food business provides products including frozen foods, seasonings and other processed food items.

Japan Tobacco traces its history to Japan's former tobacco monopoly and was established in its current corporate form in 1985.

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