Jefferies Financial Group Issues Positive Forecast for Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Stock Price

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) had its target price boosted by equities research analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $50.00 to $60.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has an “underperform” rating on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s price target points to a potential downside of 17.41% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on MO. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 16th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.44.

Altria Group Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of Altria Group stock traded up $0.28 on Wednesday, hitting $72.65. 1,905,409 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 9,729,592. The stock has a market capitalization of $121.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $67.93 and a 200 day moving average price of $63.78. Altria Group has a 1-year low of $54.70 and a 1-year high of $74.56.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 298.69% and a net margin of 34.34%.The firm had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.58 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.23 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Altria Group will post 5.68 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In related news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total value of $1,885,743.56. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. The trade was a 13.37% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Altria Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Glenmede Trust Co. NA lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 219,607 shares of the company’s stock worth $14,492,000 after acquiring an additional 4,066 shares during the last quarter. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Altria Group by 41.2% in the 1st quarter. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,836 shares of the company’s stock valued at $385,000 after purchasing an additional 1,704 shares during the last quarter. Axiom Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Altria Group in the first quarter valued at approximately $237,000. Essential Partners LLC raised its position in Altria Group by 16.4% in the first quarter. Essential Partners LLC now owns 1,956 shares of the company’s stock valued at $129,000 after purchasing an additional 275 shares during the period. Finally, BankChampaign National Association purchased a new stake in Altria Group in the first quarter valued at approximately $554,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.