Cynosure Group LLC Invests $675,000 in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Cynosure Group LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund acquired 9,385 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $675,000.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund increased its position in shares of Altria Group by 7.1% during the fourth quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 668,243 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,531,000 after buying an additional 44,267 shares during the period. Procyon Advisors LLC raised its stake in Altria Group by 59.3% during the first quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 38,926 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,569,000 after buying an additional 14,490 shares during the last quarter. Rayburn West Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at $2,438,000. North Dakota State Investment Board acquired a new position in Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at $3,336,000. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its position in Altria Group by 206.7% during the fourth quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 75,573 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,358,000 after acquiring an additional 50,931 shares during the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have weighed in on MO. BTIG Research began coverage on Altria Group in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Barclays dropped their price objective on Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Altria Group currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $70.11.

Altria Group Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of NYSE:MO opened at $66.08 on Thursday. Altria Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $54.70 and a twelve month high of $77.06. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $70.41 and its 200-day moving average is $68.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $110.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.94, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.46.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.50 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.35 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 33.99% and a negative return on equity of 315.29%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.44 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total transaction of $145,120.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 25,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,821,401.12. The trade was a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total transaction of $418,327.50. Following the sale, the director directly owned 73,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. The trade was a 7.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Altria Group

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.