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Investing.com - RBC Capital downgraded British American Tobacco (NYSE:BTI) from Sector Perform to Underperform on Tuesday, while raising its price target to GBP34.00 from GBP30.00.
The downgrade comes as RBC Capital expressed concerns that profit expectations for BAT’s New Categories segment are "seriously overblown" according to its analysis.
RBC highlighted competitive disadvantages in key growth segments, noting that in Heated Tobacco, BAT’s business is only 10% the size of dominant competitor Philip Morris International, while its largest segment, Vapour, faces intense competition.
The investment bank’s analysis determined that BAT’s New Category business was not profitable in 2024 once costs are fully apportioned, supporting their cautious outlook.
RBC Capital also challenged BAT’s growth targets of 3-5% organic sales growth and 4-6% EBIT growth, calling the algorithm "unfeasible" due to adverse category margin mix.
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