BF.A vs. BTI: Brown-Forman vs. British American Tobacco Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Brown-Forman (BF.A) and British American Tobacco (BTI) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Brown-Forman (BF.A) and British American Tobacco (BTI) both fall under the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group, but BF.A is classified in Beverages while BTI is classified in Tobacco.

Brown-Forman (BF.A) trades as ordinary local shares, while British American Tobacco (BTI) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.

Company profile comparison for Brown-Forman (BF.A) and British American Tobacco (BTI)
Profile Item	BF.A	BTI
Name	Brown-Forman Corporation Class A Common Stock	British American Tobacco plc ADR
Country/Region	United States	United Kingdom
GICS Sector	Consumer Staples	Consumer Staples
GICS Industry Group	Food, Beverage & Tobacco	Food, Beverage & Tobacco
GICS Industry	Beverages	Tobacco
GICS Sub-Industry	Distillers & Vintners	Tobacco
Market Capitalization	14.44 billion USD	130.83 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	May 3, 1973	April 14, 1980
Security Type	Common Stock	ADR

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

BF.A

BTI

GSPC

Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. British American Tobacco (BTI), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Brown-Forman (BF.A) and British American Tobacco (BTI). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Brown-Forman (BF.A) and British American Tobacco (BTI). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Brown-Forman (BF.A) and British American Tobacco (BTI)
Metric	BF.A	BTI
Total Return (1Y)	21.31%	16.59%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	-17.39%	34.31%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	-12.15%	20.24%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

BF.A

BTI

GSPC

Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. British American Tobacco (BTI), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Brown-Forman (BF.A) and British American Tobacco (BTI). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Brown-Forman (BF.A) and British American Tobacco (BTI)
Metric	BF.A	BTI
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	38.10%	26.28%
Beta (5Y)	0.26	0.29
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-67.09%	-29.84%
Avg. Volume (3M)	138.95K	5.01M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

BF.A and BTI are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Brown-Forman (BF.A) and British American Tobacco (BTI)
Metric	BF.A	BTI
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	0.45	0.47
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	0.68	0.71

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Brown-Forman (BF.A) at 18.12% sits in the top ROE quartile, while British American Tobacco (BTI) at 13.42% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for BF.A.

BF.A

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

18.12%

Max: 32.02%
BF.A: 18.12%
Q3: 16.61%
Median: 10.05%
Q1: 4.10%
Min: -10.50%

BTI

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

13.42%

Max: 32.02%
Q3: 16.61%
BTI: 13.42%
Median: 10.05%
Q1: 4.10%
Min: -10.50%

Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. British American Tobacco (BTI): A comparison of their ROE against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

British American Tobacco (BTI) at 24.99% keeps the most of each sales dollar — above its industry’s net margin range — and Brown-Forman (BF.A) at 18.42% also retains a top-quartile share.

BF.A

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

18.42%

Max: 24.83%
BF.A: 18.42%
Q3: 11.22%
Median: 5.94%
Q1: 2.05%
Min: -11.49%

BTI

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

24.99%

BTI: 24.99%
Max: 24.83%
Q3: 11.22%
Median: 5.94%
Q1: 2.05%
Min: -11.49%

Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. British American Tobacco (BTI): A comparison of their net margin against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Brown-Forman (BF.A) at 27.55% and British American Tobacco (BTI) at 34.91% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

BF.A

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

27.55%

Max: 34.91%
BF.A: 27.55%
Q3: 17.57%
Median: 11.06%
Q1: 4.15%
Min: -15.06%

BTI

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

34.91%

BTI: 34.91%
Max: 34.91%
Q3: 17.57%
Median: 11.06%
Q1: 4.15%
Min: -15.06%

Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. British American Tobacco (BTI): A comparison of their operating margin against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Brown-Forman (BF.A) and British American Tobacco (BTI)
Metric	BF.A	BTI
ROE (TTM)	18.12%	13.42%
ROA (TTM)	8.63%	5.12%
Net Margin (TTM)	18.42%	24.99%
Operating Margin (TTM)	27.55%	34.91%
Gross Margin (TTM)	60.66%	82.72%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Brown-Forman (BF.A) at -1.18% and British American Tobacco (BTI) at -0.99% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. British American Tobacco (BTI): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

British American Tobacco (BTI) at 156.69% clears its industry range for EPS growth, a much stronger earnings trajectory than Brown-Forman (BF.A) at -16.85%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.

Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. British American Tobacco (BTI): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Brown-Forman (BF.A) and British American Tobacco (BTI)
Metric	BF.A	BTI
Revenue Growth (YoY)	-1.18%	-0.99%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	-2.42%	-2.53%
EPS Growth (YoY)	-16.85%	156.69%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	-2.09%	6.15%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Brown-Forman (BF.A) at 3.26 carries current ratio above its industry’s typical mid-range, while British American Tobacco (BTI) at 0.84 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — different working-capital profiles, both worth examining.

BF.A

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

3.26

Max: 4.01
BF.A: 3.26
Q3: 2.35
Median: 1.53
Q1: 1.02
Min: 0.33

BTI

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

0.84

Max: 4.01
Q3: 2.35
Median: 1.53
Q1: 1.02
BTI: 0.84
Min: 0.33

Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. British American Tobacco (BTI): A comparison of their current ratio against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Brown-Forman (BF.A) at 0.62 and British American Tobacco (BTI) at 0.72 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

BF.A

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

0.62

Max: 2.19
Q3: 1.11
Median: 0.68
BF.A: 0.62
Q1: 0.33
Min: 0.00

BTI

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

0.72

Max: 2.19
Q3: 1.11
BTI: 0.72
Median: 0.68
Q1: 0.33
Min: 0.00

Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. British American Tobacco (BTI): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Brown-Forman (BF.A) and British American Tobacco (BTI)
Metric	BF.A	BTI
Current Ratio (MRQ)	3.26	0.84
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.62	0.72
Net Debt / EBITDA	1.80	2.90

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

British American Tobacco (BTI) at 3.88% delivers top-quartile income for its industry, while Brown-Forman (BF.A) at 2.89% pays a more typical yield — both are credible income propositions, BTI the richer one.

BF.A

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

2.89%

Max: 9.38%
Q3: 3.77%
BF.A: 2.89%
Median: 1.76%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

BTI

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

3.88%

Max: 9.38%
BTI: 3.88%
Q3: 3.77%
Median: 1.76%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. British American Tobacco (BTI): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Brown-Forman (BF.A) at 59.32% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while British American Tobacco (BTI) at 83.97% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.

BF.A

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

59.32%

Max: 199.19%
Q3: 81.03%
BF.A: 59.32%
Median: 41.52%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

BTI

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

83.97%

Max: 199.19%
BTI: 83.97%
Q3: 81.03%
Median: 41.52%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. British American Tobacco (BTI): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Brown-Forman (BF.A) and British American Tobacco (BTI)
Metric	BF.A	BTI
Dividend Yield (TTM)	2.89%	3.88%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	59.32%	83.97%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Brown-Forman (BF.A) at 20.30 and British American Tobacco (BTI) at 15.61 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

BF.A

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

20.30

Max: 52.52
Q3: 30.78
BF.A: 20.30
Median: 18.76
Q1: 12.77
Min: 4.72

BTI

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

15.61

Max: 52.52
Q3: 30.78
Median: 18.76
BTI: 15.61
Q1: 12.77
Min: 4.72

Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. British American Tobacco (BTI): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Both look expensive on sales: Brown-Forman (BF.A) at 3.69 sits in the upper P/S ratio quartile, and British American Tobacco (BTI) at 5.08 prices even higher, above its industry range.

BF.A

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

3.69

Max: 4.64
BF.A: 3.69
Q3: 2.27
Median: 1.17
Q1: 0.52
Min: 0.00

BTI

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

5.08

BTI: 5.08
Max: 4.64
Q3: 2.27
Median: 1.17
Q1: 0.52
Min: 0.00

Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. British American Tobacco (BTI): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Both look rich against book: Brown-Forman (BF.A) at 3.64 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and British American Tobacco (BTI) at 10.59 prices even higher, above its industry range.

BF.A

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

3.64

Max: 6.35
BF.A: 3.64
Q3: 3.07
Median: 1.58
Q1: 0.82
Min: 0.00

BTI

Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group

10.59

BTI: 10.59
Max: 6.35
Q3: 3.07
Median: 1.58
Q1: 0.82
Min: 0.00

Brown-Forman (BF.A) vs. British American Tobacco (BTI): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Brown-Forman (BF.A) and British American Tobacco (BTI)
Metric	BF.A	BTI
P/E Ratio (TTM)	20.30	15.61
P/S Ratio (TTM)	3.69	5.08
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	3.64	10.59
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	4.75%	2.69%