Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Stock Price Up 3.2% – Should You Buy?

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO)’s share price traded up 3.2% on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $64.53 and last traded at $64.1970. 12,255,318 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 6% from the average session volume of 11,557,885 shares. The stock had previously closed at $62.23.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on MO shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. UBS Group upped their price objective on Altria Group from $63.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $62.56.

Altria Group Trading Up 3.2%

The stock has a market cap of $107.77 billion, a PE ratio of 15.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 0.47. The business has a 50 day moving average of $59.19 and a 200-day moving average of $61.82.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $5.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.02 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 287.61% and a net margin of 29.84%.The firm’s revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.30 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 26th were paid a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 26th. Altria Group’s payout ratio is currently 103.16%.

Altria Group announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback program on Thursday, October 30th that authorizes the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 1.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Altria Group

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MO. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Country Trust Bank grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 400.0% in the second quarter. Country Trust Bank now owns 500 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. EMC Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Anfield Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 334.7% in the 2nd quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 539 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 415 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

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.