BTI vs. FMX: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on August 24, 2025

Here’s a clear look at BTI and FMX, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Profile

Both BTI and FMX are American Depositary Receipts (ADRs). This provides U.S. investors with straightforward access to investing in these foreign-listed companies.

Symbol	BTI	FMX
Company Name	British American Tobacco p.l.c.	Fomento Económico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V.
Country	United Kingdom	Mexico
GICS Sector	Consumer Staples	Consumer Staples
GICS Industry	Tobacco	Beverages
Market Capitalization	129.49 billion USD	177.99 billion USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	April 14, 1980	May 11, 1998
Security Type	ADR	ADR

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of BTI and FMX by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

BTI vs. FMX: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	BTI	FMX
5-Day Price Return	0.86%	-0.38%
13-Week Price Return	28.83%	-23.74%
26-Week Price Return	36.87%	-13.13%
52-Week Price Return	52.87%	-24.29%
Month-to-Date Return	4.85%	-6.52%
Year-to-Date Return	47.08%	-10.41%
10-Day Avg. Volume	2.24M	2.89M
3-Month Avg. Volume	3.80M	2.58M
3-Month Volatility	19.28%	19.09%
Beta	0.32	0.83

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

BTI

6.40%

Tobacco Industry

Max: 49.48%
Q3: 49.48%
Median: 7.92%
Q1: 5.28%
Min: 4.04%

BTI’s Return on Equity of 6.40% is on par with the norm for the Tobacco industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

FMX

6.94%

Beverages Industry

Max: 49.46%
Q3: 24.91%
Median: 11.13%
Q1: 5.27%
Min: -5.93%

FMX’s Return on Equity of 6.94% is on par with the norm for the Beverages industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

BTI vs. FMX: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Tobacco and Beverages industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

BTI

12.06%

Tobacco Industry

Max: 21.36%
Q3: 18.49%
Median: 11.05%
Q1: 6.80%
Min: 5.37%

BTI’s Net Profit Margin of 12.06% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Tobacco industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

FMX

2.44%

Beverages Industry

Max: 21.86%
Q3: 12.24%
Median: 8.70%
Q1: 5.33%
Min: -4.40%

Falling into the lower quartile for the Beverages industry, FMX’s Net Profit Margin of 2.44% indicates weaker profitability. This means the company retains a smaller portion of each dollar in sales as profit compared to its competitors.

BTI vs. FMX: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Tobacco and Beverages industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

BTI

13.86%

Tobacco Industry

Max: 14.35%
Q3: 12.68%
Median: 11.00%
Q1: 10.58%
Min: 10.58%

An Operating Profit Margin of 13.86% places BTI in the upper quartile for the Tobacco industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.

FMX

8.00%

Beverages Industry

Max: 29.32%
Q3: 18.25%
Median: 13.42%
Q1: 10.58%
Min: 0.71%

FMX’s Operating Profit Margin of 8.00% is in the lower quartile for the Beverages industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.

BTI vs. FMX: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Tobacco and Beverages industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	BTI	FMX
Return on Equity (TTM)	6.40%	6.94%
Return on Assets (TTM)	2.70%	2.34%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	12.06%	2.44%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	13.86%	8.00%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	83.38%	41.29%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

BTI

0.87

Tobacco Industry

Max: 3.20
Q3: 1.83
Median: 0.83
Q1: 0.72
Min: 0.57

BTI’s Current Ratio of 0.87 aligns with the median group of the Tobacco industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

FMX

1.34

Beverages Industry

Max: 3.38
Q3: 1.97
Median: 1.21
Q1: 0.86
Min: 0.53

FMX’s Current Ratio of 1.34 aligns with the median group of the Beverages industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

BTI vs. FMX: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Tobacco and Beverages industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

BTI

0.75

Tobacco Industry

Max: 2.19
Q3: 2.19
Median: 0.74
Q1: 0.26
Min: 0.01

BTI’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.75 is typical for the Tobacco industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

FMX

1.09

Beverages Industry

Max: 2.11
Q3: 1.23
Median: 0.79
Q1: 0.32
Min: 0.00

FMX’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.09 is typical for the Beverages industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

BTI vs. FMX: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Tobacco and Beverages industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

BTI

-11.45

Tobacco Industry

Max: 36.48
Q3: 28.54
Median: 7.02
Q1: 6.32
Min: -11.45

BTI has a negative Interest Coverage Ratio of -11.45. This indicates that its earnings were insufficient to cover even its operational costs, let alone its interest payments, signaling significant financial distress.

FMX

3.86

Beverages Industry

Max: 78.96
Q3: 40.67
Median: 9.62
Q1: 3.59
Min: 0.81

FMX’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 3.86 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Beverages industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

BTI vs. FMX: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Tobacco and Beverages industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	BTI	FMX
Current Ratio (MRQ)	0.87	1.34
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	0.55	1.06
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	0.75	1.09
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	-11.45	3.86

Growth

Revenue Growth

BTI vs. FMX: A side-by-side comparison of their Revenue Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

EPS Growth

BTI vs. FMX: A side-by-side comparison of their EPS Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

Dividend

Dividend Yield (TTM)

BTI

5.64%

Tobacco Industry

Max: 6.71%
Q3: 6.06%
Median: 5.48%
Q1: 3.91%
Min: 3.27%

BTI’s Dividend Yield of 5.64% is consistent with its peers in the Tobacco industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

FMX

6.14%

Beverages Industry

Max: 6.93%
Q3: 4.51%
Median: 3.09%
Q1: 2.03%
Min: 0.00%

With a Dividend Yield of 6.14%, FMX offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Beverages industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.

BTI vs. FMX: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Tobacco and Beverages industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

BTI

57.82%

Tobacco Industry

Max: 77.64%
Q3: 76.55%
Median: 50.14%
Q1: 47.08%
Min: 42.39%

BTI’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 57.82% is within the typical range for the Tobacco industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

FMX

188.65%

Beverages Industry

Max: 143.36%
Q3: 99.22%
Median: 67.03%
Q1: 40.31%
Min: 0.00%

At 188.65%, FMX’s Dividend Payout Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical range for the Beverages industry. While this provides a significant return to shareholders, it may limit funds for reinvestment and could be difficult to sustain.

BTI vs. FMX: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Tobacco and Beverages industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	BTI	FMX
Dividend Yield (TTM)	5.64%	6.14%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	57.82%	188.65%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

BTI

29.96

Tobacco Industry

Max: 42.16
Q3: 36.45
Median: 20.93
Q1: 10.52
Min: 9.15

BTI’s P/E Ratio of 29.96 is within the middle range for the Tobacco industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

FMX

30.72

Beverages Industry

Max: 41.48
Q3: 28.35
Median: 19.09
Q1: 15.36
Min: 3.14

A P/E Ratio of 30.72 places FMX in the upper quartile for the Beverages industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.

BTI vs. FMX: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Tobacco and Beverages industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

BTI

3.61

Tobacco Industry

Max: 10.48
Q3: 5.39
Median: 3.32
Q1: 1.54
Min: 0.59

BTI’s P/S Ratio of 3.61 aligns with the market consensus for the Tobacco industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

FMX

0.75

Beverages Industry

Max: 3.90
Q3: 2.38
Median: 1.54
Q1: 0.84
Min: 0.41

In the lower quartile for the Beverages industry, FMX’s P/S Ratio of 0.75 indicates its revenue is valued more conservatively than most of its peers. This could present a compelling opportunity if the market has overlooked its sales-generating capabilities.

BTI vs. FMX: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Tobacco and Beverages industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

BTI

1.62

Tobacco Industry

Max: 4.76
Q3: 4.76
Median: 2.18
Q1: 1.70
Min: 1.06

BTI’s P/B Ratio of 1.62 is in the lower quartile for the Tobacco industry. From a value investing perspective, this is favorable, as it suggests the stock is trading at a discount to its net asset value and may offer a greater margin of safety.

FMX

2.54

Beverages Industry

Max: 6.29
Q3: 3.58
Median: 2.19
Q1: 1.68
Min: 0.91

FMX’s P/B Ratio of 2.54 is within the conventional range for the Beverages industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.

BTI vs. FMX: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Tobacco and Beverages industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	BTI	FMX
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	29.96	30.72
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	3.61	0.75
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	1.62	2.54
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	10.68	27.94