China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. Sells 45,101 Shares of British American Tobacco p.l.c. $BTI

China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. reduced its position in shares of British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI) by 42.2% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 61,857 shares of the company’s stock after selling 45,101 shares during the quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in British American Tobacco were worth $3,538,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Capital International Investors boosted its holdings 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 buying an additional 1,891,042 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors boosted its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 22,068,891 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,171,399,000 after buying an additional 559,189 shares during the period. Orbis Allan Gray Ltd boosted its holdings 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 buying an additional 2,482,737 shares during the period. Capital World Investors boosted its holdings in shares of British American Tobacco by 12,870.7% during the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 9,470,709 shares of the company’s stock worth $502,687,000 after buying an additional 9,397,693 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings 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 buying an additional 1,578,860 shares during the period. 16.16% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

BTI has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Wall Street Zen cut shares of British American Tobacco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, April 5th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of British American Tobacco from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $51.00.

British American Tobacco Stock Performance

Shares of BTI stock opened at $57.30 on Friday. British American Tobacco p.l.c. has a 52-week low of $40.12 and a 52-week 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. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $59.04 and a 200-day moving average of $57.05.

British American Tobacco Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 8th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 29th will be paid a $0.8349 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 29th. This represents a $3.34 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.8%.

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.