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

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded British American Tobacco (BTI) from "hold" to "buy." Several other firms (Kepler, Deutsche Bank, Citigroup, Weiss) also have recent buy ratings, leaving a consensus of "Moderate Buy" with eight Buy ratings and two Sell ratings.
• Analyst target vs. market price: BTI's consensus price target is $51.00, but the stock opened at $57.81 and trades near its 50-day and 200-day moving averages ($59.10 and $56.39), with a 1-year range of $37.96–$63.22, meaning the market price currently sits above the consensus target.

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

A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on BTI. Kepler Capital Markets started coverage on shares of British American Tobacco in a research note on Friday, December 12th. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley reissued an "underweight" rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "buy" rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a report on Friday, November 28th. Weiss Ratings upgraded British American Tobacco from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a "buy" rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a research report on Friday, November 28th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, British American Tobacco has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $51.00.

British American Tobacco Price Performance

Shares of BTI stock opened at $57.81 on Friday. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $59.10 and its 200-day simple moving average is $56.39. The company has a current ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. British American Tobacco has a 1-year low of $37.96 and a 1-year high of $63.22.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On British American Tobacco

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. First Command Advisory Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco by 1,386.7% in the 4th quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. now owns 446 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 416 shares during the period. Glen Eagle Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in British American Tobacco during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. True Wealth Design LLC acquired a new stake in British American Tobacco during the third quarter worth about $29,000. Cary Street Partners Financial LLC bought a new position in British American Tobacco in the second quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Salem Investment Counselors Inc. boosted its stake in British American Tobacco by 48.6% in the third quarter. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. now owns 633 shares of the company's stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 207 shares during the period. 16.16% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.

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