11 Top Performing European Stocks So Far In 2025

9. British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 25

YTD Share Price Performance as of April 11: 13.77%

Next on our list of the best performing stocks in Europe is British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI), a London-based manufacturer and distributor of tobacco and nicotine products. On February 10, Citi maintained a Buy rating on BTI and raised the price target to £36 from £32. This comes after a positive trading update in December, which alleviated concerns about the company’s full-year performance. Citi analysts expect modest organic growth in 2024 and 2025 from BTI, with a gradual strength in results by 2026. Despite the stock already performing well this year, Citi sees more upside due to earnings upgrades, a possible slowdown in the US cigarette declines, stricter enforcement on illegal vapes, and a potential increase in share buybacks.

British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI)’s 2024 financial results came in according to its guidance. The company recorded 3.6 million new adult users of smokeless products, making up 17.5% of revenue. In the second half of 2024, the performance revved up because of investments in the United States and higher product innovation. Although 2025 results stand to be affected by headwinds in Bangladesh and Australia, BTI is confident about delivering 3-5% revenue growth and 4-6% profit growth by 2026. The company also plans £900 million in share repurchases in 2025.

According to Insider Monkey’s Q4 database, 25 hedge funds held long positions in British American Tobacco p.l.c. (NYSE:BTI), compared to 24 funds in the prior quarter. William B. Gray’s Orbis Investment Management was the biggest stakeholder of the company, with nearly 10 million shares worth $362.5 million.