British American Tobacco (NYSE:BTI) Raised to Buy at Wall Street Zen

British American Tobacco (NYSE:BTI - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report issued on Saturday.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a report on Monday, June 8th. Citigroup restated a "buy" rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of British American Tobacco from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, BTIG Research started coverage on shares of British American Tobacco in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $51.00.

British American Tobacco Trading Down 1.6%

British American Tobacco stock opened at $60.71 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.57. The business's fifty day moving average is $61.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $60.24. British American Tobacco has a 52 week low of $49.88 and a 52 week high of $67.30.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On British American Tobacco

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Capital International Investors raised its position in shares of British American Tobacco by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 64,389,481 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,645,500,000 after acquiring an additional 332,062 shares during the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors boosted its position in shares of British American Tobacco by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 22,333,402 shares of the company's stock worth $1,264,512,000 after purchasing an additional 264,511 shares during the last quarter. Orbis Allan Gray Ltd grew its stake in shares of British American Tobacco by 20.7% during the second quarter. Orbis Allan Gray Ltd now owns 14,503,968 shares of the company's stock worth $686,473,000 after purchasing an additional 2,482,737 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE increased its holdings in British American Tobacco by 34.4% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 9,736,843 shares of the company's stock valued at $569,313,000 after purchasing an additional 2,494,576 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital World Investors lifted its stake in British American Tobacco by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 9,518,567 shares of the company's stock valued at $538,935,000 after buying an additional 47,858 shares during the period. 16.16% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More British American Tobacco News

Here are the key news stories impacting British American Tobacco this week:

• Positive Sentiment: British American Tobacco reported progress in its next-generation nicotine business during the first half of 2026. New categories contributed more revenue, growth accelerated, margins improved, and the vaping division returned to growth after a two-year downturn. These developments support the company’s long-term transition away from traditional tobacco and may justify a valuation premium. British American Tobacco: The Right Kind Of Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary highlighted British American Tobacco among consumer-goods companies under review, potentially drawing attention to its recurring cash flow, dividend appeal and smoke-free growth strategy. Analysts Offer Insights on Consumer Goods Companies
• Neutral Sentiment: The company’s second-quarter earnings call and presentation provided additional detail on results and management’s smoke-free transition, but the immediate share-price impact depends on how investors interpret the outlook and execution risks. BTI Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: British American Tobacco’s updated fiscal 2026 outlook trails analyst expectations: EPS guidance of 4.725 is below the 4.810 consensus, while revenue guidance of $33.7 billion is below the $35.0 billion estimate. The reduced outlook is likely the main reason investors have pressured the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Reported quarterly EPS of $1.11 and revenue of $8.10 billion were substantially below consensus estimates of $2.21 and $16.42 billion, respectively. Although the magnitude may reflect reporting or accounting differences, the headline miss creates near-term confidence concerns. British American Tobacco Earnings Results

British American Tobacco Company Profile

British American Tobacco plc (BTI) is a multinational tobacco manufacturer and nicotine products company headquartered in London. Founded in 1902 as a joint venture to commercialize tobacco products outside the United States, the company has grown into one of the world's largest tobacco firms with a long history in manufacturing and global distribution of combustible tobacco products.

BAT's core business remains the manufacture and sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products under a portfolio of well-known consumer brands, including Dunhill, Lucky Strike, Pall Mall, Kent and Rothmans.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.