KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 22): Hong Leong Investment Bank Bhd analyst Huan Wen Gan downgraded the recommendation on British American Tobacco (M) Bhd (BAT Malaysia) to sell from hold.

* Price target (PT) lowered to RM24.50 from RM32.80, implies 35% decrease. BAT Malaysia average PT is RM33.80.

* BAT Malaysia had 6 buys, 7 holds, 5 sells previously: Bloomberg data

* Analysts raised their consensus one-year target price for the stock by 2.2 percent in the past three months. Forecasts range from RM24.20 to RM40.35. 

Performance Metrics

* Investors who followed the analyst's recommendation would have received a negative 1.2 percent return in the past year, compared with the 23 percent return on the shares.