Newport Trust Company LLC Has $5.95 Million Stock Holdings in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Newport Trust Company LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 16.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 103,142 shares of the company’s stock after selling 20,856 shares during the quarter. Newport Trust Company LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $5,947,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Navalign LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. EMC Capital Management bought a new stake in Altria Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Gould Capital LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $39,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on MO shares. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price 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. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $69.33.

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In related news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total transaction of $1,885,743.56. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,221,318.33. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Altria Group Stock Performance

NYSE:MO opened at $73.61 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $67.56 and its 200-day moving average is $63.43. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $54.70 and a 52 week high of $74.56. The firm has a market cap of $122.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.40, a P/E/G ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.48.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.23 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 88.70%.

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.