TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. Purchases 40,086 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. increased its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 36.1% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 151,000 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 40,086 shares during the period. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $10,806,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 64.7% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 17,702 shares of the company’s stock valued at $926,000 after acquiring an additional 6,954 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 86.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 6,361 shares of the company’s stock valued at $373,000 after purchasing an additional 2,946 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 6.9% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 9,630 shares of the company’s stock valued at $565,000 after purchasing an additional 618 shares during the period. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL acquired a new stake in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $346,000. Finally, AXA S.A. acquired a new stake in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $5,752,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on MO shares. Barclays lowered their price target on Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. 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 research note on Wednesday, May 27th. BTIG Research began coverage on Altria Group in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $70.11.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of MO opened at $68.80 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $54.70 and a 52 week high of $77.06. The firm has a market cap of $114.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.45. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $69.82 and its 200 day simple moving average is $69.07.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.50 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.35 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 33.99% and a negative return on equity of 315.29%. The firm’s revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.44 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of $1.11 per share. This represents a $4.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.5%. This is an increase from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is 93.67%.

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.