Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Trading Up 1% – Should You Buy?

by · The Markets Daily

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO – Get Free Report)’s stock price traded up 1% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $57.90 and last traded at $57.69. 1,273,751 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 86% from the average session volume of 8,993,511 shares. The stock had previously closed at $57.13.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently commented on MO. UBS Group raised their price objective on Altria Group from $42.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $60.00 price target on Altria Group in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on Altria Group from $54.00 to $53.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Altria Group presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $54.00.

Check Out Our Latest Report on MO

Altria Group Stock Performance

The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $56.31 and a 200 day moving average price of $54.10. The stock has a market cap of $97.37 billion, a PE ratio of 8.79, a PEG ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.54.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The company reported $1.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.28 by $0.01. Altria Group had a net margin of 46.90% and a negative return on equity of 258.72%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 25th will be issued a $1.02 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 25th. This represents a $4.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.08%. Altria Group’s payout ratio is 62.29%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Altria Group

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Truvestments Capital LLC increased its stake in Altria Group by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. Truvestments Capital LLC now owns 4,581 shares of the company’s stock worth $240,000 after buying an additional 190 shares during the period. Enterprise Financial Services Corp increased its position in shares of Altria Group by 4.0% during the fourth quarter. Enterprise Financial Services Corp now owns 5,052 shares of the company’s stock worth $264,000 after acquiring an additional 194 shares during the period. Fragasso Financial Advisors Inc raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 3.1% during the first quarter. Fragasso Financial Advisors Inc now owns 6,499 shares of the company’s stock valued at $390,000 after acquiring an additional 197 shares in the last quarter. Horst & Graben Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Horst & Graben Wealth Management LLC now owns 13,015 shares of the company’s stock valued at $681,000 after purchasing an additional 198 shares during the period. Finally, First Citizens Financial Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 4.8% in the fourth quarter. First Citizens Financial Corp now owns 4,402 shares of the company’s stock valued at $230,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

About Altria Group

(Get Free Report)

Altria Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells smokeable and oral tobacco products in the United States. The company offers cigarettes primarily under the Marlboro brand; large cigars and pipe tobacco under the Black & Mild brand; moist smokeless tobacco and snus products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands; oral nicotine pouches under the on! brand; and e-vapor products under the NJOY ACE brand.

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