BNP Paribas Financial Markets Buys 14,655 Shares of British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI)

BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its stake in British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI - Free Report) by 21.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 82,029 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 14,655 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets' holdings in British American Tobacco were worth $2,979,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco by 294.9% in the 4th quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 703 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 525 shares in the last quarter. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in British American Tobacco during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. lifted its stake in British American Tobacco by 334.4% in the 4th quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 1,099 shares of the company's stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 846 shares during the last quarter. Duncker Streett & Co. Inc. grew its stake in shares of British American Tobacco by 43.1% during the fourth quarter. Duncker Streett & Co. Inc. now owns 1,242 shares of the company's stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 374 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CoreFirst Bank & Trust acquired a new position in shares of British American Tobacco during the fourth quarter worth $47,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 16.16% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on BTI shares. Bank of America began coverage on British American Tobacco in a report on Wednesday, April 30th. They issued a "buy" rating for the company. UBS Group upgraded shares of British American Tobacco from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, January 27th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of British American Tobacco from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, February 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, British American Tobacco currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $33.00.

British American Tobacco Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of NYSE:BTI traded up $0.18 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $44.62. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,707,442 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,913,552. British American Tobacco p.l.c. has a fifty-two week low of $30.01 and a fifty-two week high of $44.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 0.76. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $41.76 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $39.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $92.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.17 and a beta of 0.32.

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.