British American Tobacco PLC vs Ecopetrol SA — how do they compare? British American Tobacco PLC trades at $58.77 (market cap $124.84B), while Ecopetrol SA trades at $16.24 (market cap $29.46B). The key difference: British American Tobacco PLC is far larger — about 4.2× Ecopetrol SA's market cap, and British American Tobacco PLC pays the higher dividend (5.74%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| BTI | EC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $124.84B | $29.46B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Energy |
52-Week High | $66.70 | $16.58 |
52-Week Low | $50.39 | $8.29 |
Enterprise Value | $166.06B | $57.24B |
Dividend Yield | 5.74% | 4.02% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
British American Tobacco (BTI) trades at $58.95, down 1.78% on the day, with mixed technical signals showing bearish moving averages but neutral oscillators. Fundamentally, the company maintains strong profitability with 30.32% net income margin and attractive valuation at 12.79 P/E ratio. Recent earnings show beats in Q2 and Q4 2025, though Q4 2024 missed expectations. The company is undergoing restructuring with 5,500 job cuts announced in June 2026 to streamline operations and reduce costs.
BTI presents a compelling value opportunity with strong dividend yield and improving earnings trajectory, though facing regulatory headwinds and declining cigarette volumes. The stock's current valuation appears attractive relative to historical levels, supported by robust cash flow generation and strategic pivot toward smoke-free products. Key risks include ongoing regulatory pressures and consumer shift away from traditional tobacco products.
Ecopetrol (EC) trades at $15.88, up 1.93% with a bullish technical signal from moving averages. The stock shows mixed earnings performance with recent misses but maintains solid profitability with 8.76% net margin and 13.01% ROE. Recent positive developments include a collective bargaining agreement with workers and S&P credit rating affirmation. Valuation appears reasonable with P/E of 11.31 and P/S of 0.99, trading near analyst consensus target of $14.63.
EC presents a balanced opportunity with attractive valuation metrics and stable dividend yield, though facing revenue decline from $159.6B in 2022 to $119.7B in 2025. Key risks include ongoing revenue pressure, debt levels at 42.51% of assets, and oil price volatility. Analyst sentiment is cautious with 27% buy ratings versus 55% hold, suggesting limited near-term upside potential from current levels.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Following the acquisition of Reynolds American, British American Tobacco is neck-and-neck with Philip Morris International to be the largest listed global tobacco company--slightly larger than PMI on net revenue, but slightly smaller on total tobacco volume. British American's Global Drive Brands are Dunhill, Kent, Pall Mall, Lucky Strike, and Rothmans, and it also owns Newport and Camel in the U.S. The firm also sells vapor e-cigarettes, including its Vype brand, heated tobacco, with Glo, as well as roll- your-own and smokeless tobacco products. The company holds 31% of ITC Limited, the leading Indian cigarette-maker.
Read more on BTI →Ecopetrol SA is a vertically integrated oil company with operations in Latin America and the United States Gulf Coast. Based out of Colombia, the company explores, develops, and conducts production activities in various countries. Ecopetrol works as the primary operator or partner in a joint venture, in a host of assets held onshore and offshore. Along with production, the company refines and markets crude oils and byproducts produced from its fields. Crude products are moved by Ecopetrol through a series of pipelines throughout Colombia, along with a network of third-party production centers and facilities.
Read more on EC →