British American Tobacco p.l.c. $BTI Holdings Boosted by First Bank & Trust

First Bank & Trust raised its stake in British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI) by 22.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 69,732 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 12,733 shares during the period. First Bank & Trust’s holdings in British American Tobacco were worth $3,948,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. WCM Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of British American Tobacco in the 3rd quarter worth about $1,612,000. Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. boosted its stake in British American Tobacco by 44.3% during the 3rd quarter. Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. now owns 421,800 shares of the company’s stock valued at $22,389,000 after purchasing an additional 129,500 shares during the period. Truist Financial Corp grew its position in British American Tobacco by 6.0% in the 3rd quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 427,284 shares of the company’s stock worth $22,680,000 after purchasing an additional 24,114 shares during the last quarter. AdvisorShares Investments LLC increased its stake in shares of British American Tobacco by 252.5% in the third quarter. AdvisorShares Investments LLC now owns 24,846 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,319,000 after purchasing an additional 17,798 shares during the period. Finally, Insigneo Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of British American Tobacco in the second quarter valued at approximately $391,000. 16.16% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

British American Tobacco Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:BTI opened at $58.46 on Thursday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $59.93 and a 200-day moving average of $56.56. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. British American Tobacco p.l.c. has a twelve month low of $37.96 and a twelve month high of $63.22.

British American Tobacco Dividend Announcement

The company 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. This represents a $3.34 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 29th.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded British American Tobacco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, March 15th. Kepler Capital Markets started coverage on British American Tobacco in a research note on Friday, December 12th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded British American Tobacco from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a research note on Friday, November 28th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an “underweight” rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, British American Tobacco has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $51.00.

About British American Tobacco

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.