Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Stock Price Up 1.2% – Time to Buy?

Shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) traded up 1.2% on Friday . The stock traded as high as $73.54 and last traded at $72.9610. Approximately 4,794,345 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 48% from the average session volume of 9,230,578 shares. The stock had previously closed at $72.08.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on MO shares. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, June 21st. Finally, BTIG Research assumed coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.78.

Altria Group Price Performance

The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $71.91 and a 200-day moving average price of $67.71. The company has a market cap of $121.84 billion, a PE ratio of 15.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.45.

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, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 298.69% and a net margin of 34.34%.Altria Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.23 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a $1.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.8%. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 88.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Altria Group news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total value of $145,120.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. This represents a 7.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the director owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. This represents a 7.27% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Altria Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MO. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 5.8% during the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 2,619 shares of the company’s stock worth $191,000 after acquiring an additional 143 shares in the last quarter. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Altria Group by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,704 shares of the company’s stock valued at $733,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the last quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Altria Group by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC now owns 19,546 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,127,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC grew its stake in Altria Group by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 8,243 shares of the company’s stock valued at $475,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Patten Group Inc. increased its position in Altria Group by 4.0% in the 1st quarter. Patten Group Inc. now owns 4,165 shares of the company’s stock worth $275,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.