British American Tobacco PLC vs Palo Alto Networks Inc — how do they compare? British American Tobacco PLC trades at $55.95 (market cap $122.36B), while Palo Alto Networks Inc trades at $383.79 (market cap $312.80B). The key difference: Palo Alto Networks Inc is far larger — about 2.6× British American Tobacco PLC's market cap, and British American Tobacco PLC pays a 5.88% dividend while Palo Alto Networks Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| BTI | PANW | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $122.36B | $312.80B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Technology |
52-Week High | $66.70 | $385.04 |
52-Week Low | $50.39 | $141.67 |
Enterprise Value | $166.31B | $311.76B |
Dividend Yield | 5.88% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
BTI trades at $57.05, down 3.84% in the past 24 hours, with a bearish technical signal but strong fundamentals including a 24.99% net income margin and 13.33% ROE. Recent earnings show three beats out of four quarters, while cash flow turned negative in 2025. The company is pivoting to next-generation nicotine products like Velo, supported by a multi-year tech partnership with ITC Infotech announced in August 2026.
The outlook is mixed: valuation appears reasonable with a P/E of 14.48, and analyst consensus is 66.7% buy ratings, but technical indicators are bearish and regulatory risks persist. The stock offers income potential with dividends, yet faces headwinds from declining combustibles and recent workforce cuts.
Palo Alto Networks (PANW) trades at $384.29, down 0.19% on the day, with a bullish technical signal supported by moving averages and strong institutional sentiment. Revenue grew to $9.22B in FY2025, with net income of $1.13B, though valuation ratios like P/E of 333.74 and P/S of 26.64 appear elevated. Recent news highlights AI-driven cybersecurity demand and a China regulatory review, while the company beat EPS estimates in three consecutive quarters.
Outlook remains positive due to robust AI security growth and analyst consensus, but risks include high valuation, integration costs from acquisitions, and geopolitical scrutiny. The stock's proximity to its 52-week high suggests cautious optimism, with upside potential tied to execution on AI initiatives and cybersecurity spending trends.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
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 →Palo Alto Networks is a pure-play cybersecurity vendor that sells security appliances, subscriptions, and support into enterprises, government entities, and service providers. The company's product portfolio includes firewall appliances, virtual firewalls, endpoint protection, cloud security, and cybersecurity analytics. The Santa Clara, California, firm was established in 2005 and sells its products worldwide.
Read more on PANW →