British American Tobacco (NYSE:BTI) Downgraded to Hold Rating by Wall Street Zen

British American Tobacco (NYSE:BTI) was downgraded by Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Saturday.

BTI has been the subject of a number of other reports. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of British American Tobacco in a research report on Monday. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of British American Tobacco from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, British American Tobacco currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $51.00.

British American Tobacco Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of BTI stock opened at $62.26 on Friday. 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 $60.39 and its two-hundred day moving average is $59.20. British American Tobacco has a 12 month low of $46.38 and a 12 month high of $67.30.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On British American Tobacco

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in BTI. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of British American Tobacco by 35.2% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 27,914 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,155,000 after acquiring an additional 7,270 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco by 42.5% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 8,455 shares of the company’s stock valued at $400,000 after purchasing an additional 2,521 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers grew its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco by 10.2% in the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 6,017 shares of the company’s stock valued at $285,000 after purchasing an additional 559 shares in the last quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco by 58.6% in the second quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 14,853 shares of the company’s stock valued at $703,000 after purchasing an additional 5,486 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brown Advisory Inc. grew its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco by 5.4% in the second quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 15,967 shares of the company’s stock valued at $756,000 after purchasing an additional 816 shares in the last quarter. 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.