British American Tobacco p.l.c. $BTI Shares Purchased by First Eagle Investment Management LLC

First Eagle Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI) by 14.2% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,284,550 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 160,048 shares during the quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC owned about 0.06% of British American Tobacco worth $68,184,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of BTI. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC increased its stake in British American Tobacco by 40.2% during the 3rd quarter. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 6,052 shares of the company’s stock valued at $326,000 after buying an additional 1,736 shares during the period. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of British American Tobacco by 7.8% during the 3rd quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,778 shares of the company’s stock valued at $678,000 after purchasing an additional 929 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of British American Tobacco by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 72,747 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,861,000 after buying an additional 492 shares in the last quarter. Journey Strategic Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco by 4.6% in the third quarter. Journey Strategic Wealth LLC now owns 8,161 shares of the company’s stock valued at $433,000 after buying an additional 360 shares during the period. Finally, Bahl & Gaynor Inc. boosted its stake in British American Tobacco by 17.8% during the third quarter. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. now owns 7,608 shares of the company’s stock valued at $404,000 after buying an additional 1,150 shares in the last quarter. 16.16% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

British American Tobacco Trading Down 0.8%

BTI stock opened at $62.14 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $58.91 and a two-hundred day moving average of $56.32. British American Tobacco p.l.c. has a 12-month low of $37.96 and a 12-month high of $63.22. 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 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 29th.

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.