Altria Group, Inc. $MO Shares Purchased by Stephens Inc. AR

Stephens Inc. AR raised its holdings in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 8.6% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 266,504 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 21,124 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. AR’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $17,696,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Altria Group by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,704 shares of the company’s stock worth $733,000 after acquiring an additional 154 shares during the last quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC increased its position in Altria Group by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC now owns 19,546 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,127,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC increased its position in Altria Group by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 8,243 shares of the company’s stock worth $475,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Patten Group Inc. raised its stake in Altria Group by 4.0% during the first quarter. Patten Group Inc. now owns 4,165 shares of the company’s stock worth $275,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the period. Finally, Acorn Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Altria Group by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Acorn Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 10,117 shares of the company’s stock worth $583,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the period. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Altria Group Stock Up 0.1%

Altria Group stock opened at $72.77 on Monday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $54.70 and a 52-week high of $74.56. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $71.08 and a 200-day moving average of $66.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $121.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.22, a PEG ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.45.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 business had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.23 EPS. The business’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. On average, research analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In other Altria Group news, 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 transaction, the director owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at $5,332,700.25. The trade was a 7.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 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 position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MO has been the subject of several research reports. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Barclays lifted their target price on Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, June 21st. Finally, Bank of America upped their price target on Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.44.

Altria Group 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.