First Eagle Investment Management LLC Buys 123,430 Shares of British American Tobacco p.l.c. $BTI

First Eagle Investment Management LLC raised its stake in British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI) by 9.6% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 1,407,980 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 123,430 shares during the period. First Eagle Investment Management LLC’s holdings in British American Tobacco were worth $79,720,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of BTI. Capital World Investors raised its holdings in British American Tobacco by 12,870.7% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 9,470,709 shares of the company’s stock valued at $502,687,000 after acquiring an additional 9,397,693 shares during the period. Orbis Allan Gray Ltd grew its position in shares of British American Tobacco by 20.7% during the 2nd quarter. Orbis Allan Gray Ltd now owns 14,503,968 shares of the company’s stock worth $686,473,000 after purchasing an additional 2,482,737 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors grew its position in shares of British American Tobacco by 3.0% during the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 64,057,419 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,399,352,000 after purchasing an additional 1,891,042 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in shares of British American Tobacco by 29.5% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 6,934,792 shares of the company’s stock worth $368,099,000 after purchasing an additional 1,578,860 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. grew its position in shares of British American Tobacco by 85.1% during the 2nd quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 2,757,559 shares of the company’s stock worth $130,515,000 after purchasing an additional 1,267,425 shares in the last quarter. 16.16% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

British American Tobacco Trading Up 3.6%

Shares of NYSE:BTI opened at $60.38 on Tuesday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $58.56 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $57.65. 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 debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a current ratio of 0.87.

British American Tobacco Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 8th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 29th will be given a dividend of $0.8349 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 29th. This represents a $3.34 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.5%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of British American Tobacco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, April 5th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of British American Tobacco from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price 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.