Jefferies put a buy rating on British American Tobacco. U.S.-traded shares were up 1.8% to 48.80 in moderately higher volume.

Jefferies took up coverage of the tobacco sector on Wednesday, with three Buy ratings, one Hold rating, and one Underperform ...

British American Tobacco ( NYSE: BTI) was noted to have a strong balance sheet and rich cash returns, while room for improvement with margins is seen. In terms of valuation, British American Tobacco ( ...

Their frustration is compounded by what they see as mixed messages from authorities--warnings about the dangers of tobacco on one hand, and widespread availability of cigarettes on the other. "I fail ...