British American Tobacco p.l.c. (LON:BATS) Stock Rated "Moderate Buy" by Wall Street Brokerages

Key Points

• British American Tobacco has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating from six brokerages, with four buys, one hold and one sell. The average 12-month price target is GBX 4,858.33.
• BAT is focusing on expanding vaping, heated products and modern oral nicotine to offset declining cigarette volumes, but management expects fiscal 2026 revenue growth at the lower end of its guidance and warned of currency headwinds.
• Insiders purchased 5,884 shares worth approximately £26.4 million over the past 90 days, while the stock recently traded at GBX 4,006—below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages.

British American Tobacco p.l.c. (LON:BATS - Get Free Report) has received an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the six brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is GBX 4,858.33.

A number of research firms recently commented on BATS. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a GBX 5,100 target price on shares of British American Tobacco in a report on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on British American Tobacco from GBX 5,200 to GBX 5,500 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on British American Tobacco from GBX 3,600 to GBX 3,800 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Tadeu Marroco purchased 377 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The shares were purchased at an average price of GBX 4,214 per share, with a total value of £15,886.78. Also, insider Matthew Wright acquired 5,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 4,500 per share, for a total transaction of £247,500. Insiders have bought 5,884 shares of company stock worth $26,368,612 over the last ninety days. 0.12% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting British American Tobacco

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

• Positive Sentiment: At its 2026 Capital Markets Day, BAT emphasized continued expansion of its “New Categories,” including vaping, heated products and modern oral nicotine. Management expects smoking alternatives to grow rapidly over the next decade, supporting its longer-term Horizon 2030 strategy. BAT 2026 Capital Markets Day
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s focus on New Category growth provides a potential structural offset to declining traditional cigarette volumes and could improve BAT’s long-term growth profile if adoption continues. BAT predicts fast growth in smoking alternatives for the next decade
• Neutral Sentiment: BAT is scheduled to set out broader Horizon 2030 ambitions, giving investors more detail on its long-term portfolio transformation, growth priorities and capital allocation plans. British American Tobacco to set out Horizon 2030 ambitions
• Negative Sentiment: BAT said fiscal 2026 revenue growth is likely to be at the lower end of its previously stated guidance range. The update prompted selling because it suggests softer near-term performance than investors had expected. British American Tobacco Shares Fall as Company Targets Lower End of FY26 Growth Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Management also flagged currency headwinds for 2026, which could reduce reported revenue and earnings even if underlying operating trends remain stable. BAT’s after-hours indication subsequently showed further weakness. BAT flags currency headwinds in 2026, points to New Category growth

British American Tobacco Trading Down 3.0%

Shares of BATS stock opened at GBX 4,006 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 4,249.09 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 4,406.38. The stock has a market capitalization of £86.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.78, a P/E/G ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 0.11. British American Tobacco has a fifty-two week low of GBX 3,677 and a fifty-two week high of GBX 5,368. The company has a quick ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 72.48.

British American Tobacco (LON:BATS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported GBX 203.60 EPS for the quarter. British American Tobacco had a net margin of 24.99% and a return on equity of 13.38%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that British American Tobacco will post 361.5079365 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About British American Tobacco

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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