Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC Raises Stake in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC raised its holdings in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 9.1% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 206,324 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 17,237 shares during the period. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $14,845,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund raised its position in Altria Group by 7.1% during the 4th quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 668,243 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,531,000 after buying an additional 44,267 shares during the last quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 59.3% in the first quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 38,926 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,569,000 after acquiring an additional 14,490 shares in the last quarter. Rayburn West Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth about $2,438,000. North Dakota State Investment Board acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth about $3,336,000. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Altria Group by 206.7% during the fourth quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 75,573 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,358,000 after acquiring an additional 50,931 shares during the period. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on MO shares. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. UBS Group boosted their target price on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. BTIG Research started coverage on Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Wall Street Zen cut Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, June 21st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.11.

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In other news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the business’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 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the business’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 directly owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at $5,332,700.25. This trade represents a 7.27% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of MO opened at $65.72 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $70.83 and a 200-day simple moving average of $68.69. The company has a market capitalization of $109.74 billion, a PE ratio of 13.86, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.46. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $54.70 and a 52-week high of $77.06.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.50 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.35 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 33.99% and a negative return on equity of 315.29%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.44 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current year.

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.