Venturi Wealth Management LLC Has $2.64 Million Stock Holdings in British American Tobacco p.l.c. $BTI

Key Points

• Venturi Wealth Management raised its stake in British American Tobacco (NYSE: BTI) by 224.4% in Q4 to 46,536 shares, valued at about $2.64 million.
• Analysts hold a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" on BTI, with eight Buy and two Sell ratings and an average price target of $51.00.
• BAT announced a quarterly dividend of $0.8349 (annualized $3.34), implying a yield of roughly 5.7% and a payment scheduled for February 8.

Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI - Free Report) by 224.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 46,536 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 32,189 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC's holdings in British American Tobacco were worth $2,635,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of BTI. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of British American Tobacco by 35.2% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 27,914 shares of the company's stock worth $1,155,000 after buying an additional 7,270 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of British American Tobacco by 42.5% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 8,455 shares of the company's stock worth $400,000 after buying an additional 2,521 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its stake in shares of British American Tobacco by 10.2% during the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 6,017 shares of the company's stock worth $285,000 after buying an additional 559 shares during the last quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of British American Tobacco by 58.6% during the 2nd quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 14,853 shares of the company's stock worth $703,000 after buying an additional 5,486 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brown Advisory Inc. lifted its stake in British American Tobacco by 5.4% in the 2nd quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 15,967 shares of the company's stock valued at $756,000 after purchasing an additional 816 shares during the last quarter. 16.16% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on BTI shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded British American Tobacco from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of British American Tobacco from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, April 5th. Finally, Kepler Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of British American Tobacco in a report on Friday, December 12th. They issued a "buy" rating on the stock. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $51.00.

British American Tobacco Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of BTI opened at $58.81 on Friday. British American Tobacco p.l.c. has a 12 month low of $40.12 and a 12 month high of $63.22. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The firm's 50 day moving average is $59.85 and its 200-day moving average is $56.78.

British American Tobacco Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 8th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 29th will be given a $0.8349 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 29th. This represents a $3.34 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.7%.

British American Tobacco 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.

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