Verity & Verity LLC Boosts Stake in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Verity & Verity LLC boosted its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 2.4% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 316,146 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 7,323 shares during the period. Verity & Verity LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $18,229,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Navalign LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. EMC Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $33,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Gould Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $39,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total transaction 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at 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 shares were sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total value of $145,120.00. Following the sale, the director owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at $1,821,401.12. This trade represents a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 35,698 shares of company stock worth $2,449,191 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of MO opened at $69.63 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $68.21 and its two-hundred day moving average is $64.02. The company has a market capitalization of $116.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.57, a P/E/G ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.48. Altria Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $54.70 and a fifty-two week high of $74.56.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 298.69% and a net margin of 34.34%.The firm had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.58 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.23 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $1.06 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.1%. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 88.70%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Wall Street Zen lowered Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 16th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Bank of America increased their price objective on Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.44.

Altria Group Company 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.