NewEdge Advisors LLC Decreases Stake in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

NewEdge Advisors LLC reduced its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 7.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 329,804 shares of the company’s stock after selling 25,469 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $21,764,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. Navalign LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC grew its stake in Altria Group by 62.9% during the 4th quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 510 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MO has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. BTIG Research started coverage on shares of Altria Group in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.78.

Insider Activity at Altria Group

In other Altria Group news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the director owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. This represents a 7.27% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total transaction of $145,120.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at $1,821,401.12. The trade was a 7.38% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of MO opened at $68.37 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $71.34 and its two-hundred day moving average is $68.56. The company has a market capitalization of $114.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.42, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.46. Altria Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $54.70 and a fifty-two week high of $77.06.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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). Altria Group had a net margin of 33.99% and a negative return on equity of 315.29%. The company had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.35 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.44 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. Analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a $1.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.2%. Altria Group’s payout ratio is presently 89.45%.

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.