MML Investors Services LLC Sells 32,049 Shares of British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI)

MML Investors Services LLC reduced its holdings in British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI - Free Report) by 27.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 84,394 shares of the company's stock after selling 32,049 shares during the quarter. MML Investors Services LLC's holdings in British American Tobacco were worth $3,065,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of BTI. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its position in British American Tobacco by 294.9% during the fourth quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 703 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 525 shares during the last quarter. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in British American Tobacco in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Versant Capital Management Inc bought a new position in British American Tobacco in the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. lifted its stake in British American Tobacco by 334.4% during the fourth quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 1,099 shares of the company's stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 846 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ORG Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco by 35.1% in the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 1,151 shares of the company's stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 299 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 16.16% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

British American Tobacco Trading Down 0.9 %

Shares of BTI stock traded down $0.40 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $42.91. The stock had a trading volume of 4,687,464 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,141,762. The company has a current ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $41.04 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $38.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $88.80 billion, a PE ratio of 8.81 and a beta of 0.38. British American Tobacco p.l.c. has a 52-week low of $29.69 and a 52-week high of $43.86.

British American Tobacco Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 28th will be paid a dividend of $0.7491 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 28th. British American Tobacco's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 60.57%.

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.