BTI Stock Recent News

BTI's valuation has re-rated from deep value to closer to fair value, reducing the margin of safety and expected returns for new buyers. While still attractive and defensive, BTI is no longer the bargain it once was; I downgrade it from 'strong buy' to 'buy'. Recent results show resilient business performance, improving debt metrics, and promising growth in modern oral products, but vaping faces headwinds.

British American Tobacco p.l.c.'s share price has surged 46% YTD, outpacing fundamentals and prompting me to trim my position and shift to a Hold rating. Growth in smokeless products remains disappointing, especially compared to Philip Morris, with Vuse sales declining and overall innovation lagging. Debt sustainability has improved significantly, aided by ITC stake sales, and the dividend remains attractive and well-covered at a 54% payout ratio.

The tobacco group said it expects to meet the top end of its 2025 guidance of revenue growth of 1% to 2% at constant rates.

The S&P 500 provides a meager 1.2% yield, besides a roller-coaster ride on a regular basis. It may be a reasonably good investment for younger investors when they are in their prime accumulation phase. If you are a retiree or someone who depends on a regular income stream from your investment portfolio, the last thing you want is to worry about when to sell shares to raise income. We will present a balanced and highly diversified 3-bucket portfolio that is likely to provide 5% to 6% income and market-beating growth with lower volatility and less drawdowns. It will also provide $5,000 on a monthly basis on a $1 million capital.

Investors love dividend stocks, especially those with high yields, because they provide a substantial income stream and offer significant total return potential.

British American Tobacco p.l.c. remains a value play with a high, growing dividend, backed by strong cash flow but facing U.S. market challenges. Recent positive developments—Canada litigation settlement, menthol ban withdrawal, and progress in modern oral—are turning U.S. headwinds into tailwinds for BTI. Federal action against illegal vapes could restore VUSE's market leadership, offsetting BTI's lag in modern oral and heat-not-burn segments.

With markets at highs, I see potential for a rotation into value and high-yield dividend stocks as investors seek safety. I highlight four dividend stocks I'd hold for ten years purely for their yield, if needed, not for share price appreciation. The stocks are diversified across four industries and yield a combined 5.4%, with an extremely strong likelihood of small and continued dividend increases over the next decade.

I reiterate my buy rating on British American Tobacco despite the recent price surge. I see new catalysts from its most recent trade update to balance out the price surge. The top catalyst is the new category of products, which I expect to drive future growth and margins.

Dividends can provide you with stable income through all market environments. Today, the broad market S&P 500 index has a tiny dividend yield of 1.2%, which is significantly less than what you can earn through buying United States Treasury bonds.

BTI's rally has occurred relatively fast and furious, underscoring the bullish market sentiments surrounding its new category reversal after the prior expensive write-downs. Much of the tailwinds are attributed to Vuse's market leadership and Velo's growing volume/market share in the US, implying its robust vaping/oral approaches. This is aided by the new category's positive gross margins, with it likely to drive bottom-line expansions despite the growth headwinds arising from the illicit market and combustibles secular decline.