Stegent Equity Advisors Inc. Has $889,000 Holdings in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Stegent Equity Advisors Inc. trimmed its stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 58.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 13,468 shares of the company’s stock after selling 18,719 shares during the period. Stegent Equity Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $889,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in MO. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Navalign LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC lifted its position in Altria Group by 62.9% in the fourth quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 510 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares during the period. Finally, Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group

In other Altria Group news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total value of $145,120.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. The trade was a 7.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total value of $418,327.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. This represents a 7.27% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Stock Performance

MO opened at $71.55 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $119.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.97, a PEG ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.45. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $70.77 and its 200-day simple moving average is $66.13. Altria Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $54.70 and a twelve month high of $74.56.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.23 EPS. 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 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 88.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on MO shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price objective on Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $70.44.

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.