9,996 Shares in Altria Group, Inc. $MO Bought by Patron Partners LLC

Patron Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor bought 9,996 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $719,000.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund increased its position in shares of Altria Group by 7.1% in the fourth quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 668,243 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,531,000 after acquiring an additional 44,267 shares during the last quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC boosted its position in Altria Group by 59.3% during the first quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 38,926 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,569,000 after purchasing an additional 14,490 shares during the last quarter. Rayburn West Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,438,000. North Dakota State Investment Board bought a new position in Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $3,336,000. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Altria Group by 206.7% in the fourth quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 75,573 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,358,000 after purchasing an additional 50,931 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Citigroup boosted their price target on Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price objective on Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $70.11.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Altria Group stock opened at $65.87 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $70.20 and a 200 day simple moving average of $68.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $109.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.90, a PEG ratio of 2.34 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 released 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 business had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.35 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.44 EPS. Altria Group’s quarterly 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. Research analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Altria Group news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total transaction of $418,327.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 73,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,332,700.25. This trade represents a 7.27% decrease in their position. 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 Altria Group stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the director directly owned 25,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. This trade represents a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by 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.