Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Trading Up 1% – Here’s What Happened
by Scott Moore · The Cerbat GemAltria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO – Get Free Report) rose 1% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $72.45 and last traded at $72.29. Approximately 8,607,491 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 14% from the average daily volume of 10,004,285 shares. The stock had previously closed at $71.54.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
MO has been the topic of a number of research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Altria Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 target price on Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Altria Group presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $69.22.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Altria Group
Altria Group Stock Up 1.0%
The firm has a market cap of $120.72 billion, a PE ratio of 15.12, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.48. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $66.85 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $62.92.
Altria Group (NYSE:MO – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The firm had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.58 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.23 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Altria Group Announces Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th were given a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 25th. Altria Group’s payout ratio is presently 88.70%.
Insider Activity
In related news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total transaction of $1,885,743.56. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. This trade represents a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Altria Group
Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Compound Planning Inc. grew its stake in Altria Group by 8.9% during the first quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 28,074 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,853,000 after acquiring an additional 2,305 shares in the last quarter. Klingman & Associates LLC lifted its stake in Altria Group by 2.2% in the 1st quarter. Klingman & Associates LLC now owns 11,351 shares of the company’s stock worth $749,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares in the last quarter. Keebeck Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Altria Group in the 1st quarter worth $268,000. Dickmeyer Boyce Financial Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 1st quarter valued at about $312,000. Finally, Gibbs Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 1st quarter valued at about $349,000. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.
Altria Group Company Profile
Altria Group, Inc (NYSE: MO) is a U.S.-based consumer goods company whose principal business is the manufacture and sale of tobacco products. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, the company’s operations are focused primarily on the U.S. market and include the production, marketing and distribution of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and cigars. Its flagship cigarette franchise in the United States is sold through its operating subsidiaries and is among the most recognizable cigarette brands in the country.
Altria’s principal operating businesses include Philip Morris USA (cigarettes), U.S.