The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Acquires New Stake in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 1,379,243 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $99,237,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company owned approximately 0.08% of Altria Group at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA purchased a new stake in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the second quarter worth $27,000. Navalign LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 62.9% in the fourth quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 510 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 197 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Stock Performance

NYSE MO opened at $68.08 on Wednesday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $70.14 and its two-hundred day moving average is $68.91. The stock has a market capitalization of $113.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.36, a P/E/G ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.46. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $54.70 and a 1 year high of $77.06.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 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 company had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.35 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.44 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. 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 year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on MO shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. UBS Group increased their price target on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Citigroup raised their target price on Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.11.

About Altria Group

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.