British American Tobacco (LON:BATS) Shares Cross Above 200 Day Moving Average - What's Next?

Key Points

• British American Tobacco shares crossed above their 200-day moving average, reaching GBX 4,600 before closing at GBX 4,567, compared with the 200-day average of GBX 4,455.37.
• Analyst sentiment is generally positive: four analysts rate the stock a Buy, one rates it Hold and one rates it Sell. The consensus is “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of GBX 4,758.33; UBS and Jefferies set targets of GBX 5,750 and GBX 5,500, respectively.
• Insiders have been buying shares, including CEO Tadeu Marroco’s purchase of 5,000 shares for £215,300. Insiders bought 11,506 shares worth approximately $50.3 million over the past 90 days.

British American Tobacco p.l.c. (LON:BATS - Get Free Report)'s share price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 4,455.37 and traded as high as GBX 4,600. British American Tobacco shares last traded at GBX 4,567, with a volume of 4,059,612 shares.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BATS has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating and set a GBX 5,750 target price on shares of British American Tobacco in a report on Friday, May 29th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on British American Tobacco from GBX 5,200 to GBX 5,500 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of GBX 4,758.33.

British American Tobacco Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of £92.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 0.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 74.60, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.47. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is GBX 4,592.05 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is GBX 4,455.37.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Serpil Timuray bought 47 shares of British American Tobacco stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of GBX 4,372 per share, with a total value of £2,054.84. Also, insider Tadeu Marroco bought 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, June 5th. The shares were purchased at an average price of GBX 4,306 per share, with a total value of £215,300. Over the last 90 days, insiders have purchased 11,506 shares of company stock worth $50,267,032. 0.12% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

British American Tobacco Company Profile

BAT was founded in 1902 and was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1912. A constituent of the FTSE 100 since its creation in 1984, we have evolved, becoming the only truly global company in our sector. BAT is transforming and is well positioned with a global footprint and multi-category portfolio. Our corporate purpose is to build A Better Tomorrow™, reducing the health impact of our business, by offering adult consumers a greater choice of enjoyable and less risky*† products compared to cigarettes.

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