British American Tobacco PLC vs United Microelectronics Corp — how do they compare? British American Tobacco PLC trades at $56.06 (market cap $122.36B), while United Microelectronics Corp trades at $19.45 (market cap $47.81B). The key difference: British American Tobacco PLC is far larger — about 2.6× United Microelectronics Corp's market cap, and British American Tobacco PLC pays the higher dividend (5.88%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| BTI | UMC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $122.36B | $47.81B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Technology |
52-Week High | $66.70 | $28.02 |
52-Week Low | $50.39 | $6.58 |
Enterprise Value | $166.31B | $44.93B |
Dividend Yield | 5.88% | 2.12% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
BTI trades at $55.93, down 1.96% today, with a bearish technical signal and mixed earnings history. The company maintains strong profitability with an 83.56% gross margin and 24.99% net income margin, supported by a P/E of 14.48. Recent news highlights strategic tech partnerships and workforce restructuring to drive efficiency.
The outlook is cautious due to declining cash flow and regulatory risks, but the 5%+ dividend yield and analyst buy consensus (66.7%) offer value. Upside depends on successful transition to next-generation products, while core combustible declines and debt levels pose challenges.
UMC trades at $19.40, up 3.25% with a neutral technical signal. The company reported strong Q2 2026 earnings, beating estimates with $0.54 EPS, and announced fab expansions in Singapore and Taiwan to meet AI demand. Revenue growth is projected to rise to $250.7 billion in 2026, with net income margin improving to 32.75%. Cash flow turned positive in 2025 at $5.66 billion, supporting strategic investments.
Outlook is positive due to AI-driven demand and operational execution, but risks include competitive pressures and capital expenditure volatility. Analysts show mixed sentiment with 26.7% buy ratings, highlighting cautious optimism amid expansion plans.
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 →Founded in 1980, United Microelectronics is the world's third-largest dedicated chip foundry, with 7% market share in 2021, according to Gartner, after TSMC and GlobalFoundries. UMC's headquarters are in Hsinchu, Taiwan, and it operates 12 fabs in Taiwan, Mainland China, Japan and Singapore, with additional sales offices in Europe, the U.S. and South Korea. UMC features a diverse customer base including Texas Instruments, MediaTek, Qualcomm, Broadcom, Xilinx and Realtek, supplying a wide range of products applied in communications, display, memory, automotive and more. UMC employs about 20,000 people.
Read more on UMC →