Altria Group, Inc. $MO Shares Sold by O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC

O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 3.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,061,405 shares of the company’s stock after selling 75,963 shares during the quarter. Altria Group makes up 0.7% of O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest holding. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $118,861,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Viking Fund Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 14.1% in the fourth quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC now owns 202,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,647,000 after buying an additional 25,000 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in Altria Group by 7.2% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 12,073,682 shares of the company’s stock valued at $797,587,000 after purchasing an additional 814,665 shares during the period. Public Sector Pension Investment Board grew its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 13.7% during the 3rd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 144,725 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,561,000 after acquiring an additional 17,429 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE grew its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 3.2% during the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 603,834 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,889,000 after acquiring an additional 18,626 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lantz Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $1,203,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of MO opened at $72.32 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $120.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.46. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $54.70 and a 52 week high of $74.56. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $68.80 and its 200 day simple moving average is $64.50.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The company had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.23 EPS. The firm’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. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is 88.70%.

Insider Activity at Altria Group

In related news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total transaction of $418,327.50. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 73,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,332,700.25. This represents a 7.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the 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 in the company, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. This represents a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on MO shares. Stifel Nicolaus upped 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. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 16th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average 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.