BTI
British American Tobacco p.l.c. Consumer Staples - Tobacco Investor Relations →
British American Tobacco p.l.c. (BTI) closed at $62.80 as of 2026-02-02, trading 81.9% above its 200-week moving average of $34.53. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from 76.5% last week. With a 14-week RSI of 80, BTI is in overbought territory.
Over the past 2342 weeks of data, BTI has crossed below its 200-week moving average 18 times. On average, these episodes lasted 18 weeks. Historically, investors who bought BTI at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +19.3%.
With a market cap of $136.6 billion, BTI is a large-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 6.8%, which is healthy. Return on equity stands at 6.3%. The stock trades at 2.3x book value.
Over the past 33.2 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in BTI would have grown to $5477, compared to $2849 for the S&P 500. That represents an annualized return of 12.8% vs 10.6% for the index — confirming BTI as a market-beating investment and the kind of quality company where buying during 200-week moving average touches has historically been rewarded.
Free cash flow has been growing at a 2% compound annual rate, with 4 consecutive years of positive cash generation.
Growth of $100: BTI vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After BTI Crosses Below the Line?
Across 16 historical episodes, buying BTI when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +13.5% after 12 months (median +22.0%), compared to +10.0% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 81% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +37.1% vs +15.6% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment BTI crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
BTI has crossed below its 200-week MA 18 times with an average 1-year return of +19.3% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1981 | May 1981 | 7 | 2.5% | +29.2% | +64782.0% |
| Dec 1981 | Dec 1981 | 2 | 2.4% | +58.0% | +62186.8% |
| Jun 1994 | Jul 1994 | 3 | 6.5% | +48.5% | +6396.4% |
| Sep 1999 | Sep 1999 | 1 | 0.0% | -15.1% | +3327.1% |
| Oct 1999 | Oct 2000 | 55 | 47.1% | -0.6% | +3574.0% |
| Nov 2000 | Dec 2000 | 2 | 0.5% | +22.0% | +3353.5% |
| Jan 2001 | Jan 2001 | 2 | 1.3% | +29.3% | +3368.7% |
| Oct 2008 | Oct 2008 | 3 | 11.1% | +30.6% | +571.2% |
| Nov 2008 | Dec 2008 | 7 | 10.5% | +40.7% | +578.6% |
| Jan 2009 | Jun 2009 | 21 | 18.0% | +33.5% | +545.5% |
| Mar 2018 | Mar 2018 | 1 | 2.6% | -21.3% | +108.4% |
| Apr 2018 | Apr 2021 | 155 | 41.7% | -17.9% | +118.0% |
| Apr 2021 | May 2021 | 2 | 2.1% | +21.5% | +138.2% |
| Sep 2021 | Oct 2021 | 2 | 3.8% | +9.9% | +156.1% |
| Oct 2021 | Dec 2021 | 6 | 1.8% | +23.0% | +150.4% |
| May 2023 | Jul 2023 | 9 | 3.6% | +4.4% | +135.3% |
| Jul 2023 | Sep 2023 | 6 | 2.5% | +22.9% | +134.5% |
| Sep 2023 | Jul 2024 | 40 | 10.6% | +28.9% | +143.3% |
| Average | 18 | — | +19.3% | — |
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of Friday close, 2026-02-02