Lingohr Asset Management GmbH Makes New Investment in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO)

Lingohr Asset Management GmbH bought a new position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 11,841 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $617,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 4.6% in the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 451,816 shares of the company’s stock valued at $23,060,000 after purchasing an additional 19,673 shares in the last quarter. Baron Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the third quarter valued at about $204,000. Prospera Financial Services Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 9.8% in the third quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc now owns 79,149 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,040,000 after purchasing an additional 7,088 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 79.9% in the third quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 14,004 shares of the company’s stock valued at $715,000 after purchasing an additional 6,219 shares in the last quarter. Finally, B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the third quarter valued at about $1,394,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MO has been the topic of several recent research reports. Bank of America raised shares of Altria Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the company from $55.00 to $65.00 in a report on Friday, December 6th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Altria Group from $54.00 to $53.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 31st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $53.29.

Altria Group Stock Down 0.6 %

NYSE:MO opened at $57.97 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $98.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.85, a P/E/G ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.56. Altria Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $40.65 and a fifty-two week high of $59.67. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $54.16 and its two-hundred day moving average is $53.42.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The company reported $1.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.28 by $0.01. Altria Group had a net margin of 46.90% and a negative return on equity of 258.72%. Research analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 25th will be paid a dividend of $1.02 per share. This represents a $4.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.04%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 25th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 62.29%.

Altria Group Profile

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.