Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. Decreases Stock Holdings in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. decreased its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 12.0% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 81,993 shares of the company’s stock after selling 11,141 shares during the quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $5,899,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Navalign LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC increased 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 last quarter. Finally, Miller Capital Partners Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Stock Performance

MO opened at $68.37 on Monday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $71.34 and its 200-day moving average price is $68.61. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $77.06. The stock has a market cap of $114.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.42, a P/E/G ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.46.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 315.29% and a net margin of 33.99%.The business had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.35 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.44 earnings per share. Altria Group’s revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were given a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 89.45%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MO has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. UBS Group lifted their target price on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, June 21st. Finally, Citigroup raised 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. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $70.78.

Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group

In other news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total value of $418,327.50. Following 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total transaction of $145,120.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at $1,821,401.12. This represents a 7.38% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.