Brooks Moore & Associates Inc. Makes New $959,000 Investment in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Brooks Moore & Associates Inc. bought a new stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 13,331 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $959,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Navalign LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Miller Capital Partners Inc. bought a new stake in Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Hughes Financial Services LLC lifted its holdings in Altria Group by 62.9% during the fourth 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. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. BTIG Research assumed coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.11.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of MO opened at $67.66 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $54.70 and a 52-week high of $77.06. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $70.11 and its 200 day simple moving average is $68.95. The stock has a market capitalization of $112.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.46.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.35 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.44 EPS. The firm’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. On average, research analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a $1.11 dividend. This represents a $4.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This is a positive change from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. Altria Group’s payout ratio is 89.45%.

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.