Traders Purchase Large Volume of Call Options on Altria Group (NYSE:MO)

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) saw unusually large options trading on Tuesday. Traders purchased 37,493 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 62% compared to the average volume of 23,181 call options.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total transaction of $1,885,743.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.08% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Altria Group

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Navalign LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Country Trust Bank increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 400.0% during the second quarter. Country Trust Bank now owns 500 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the period. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Hughes Financial Services LLC lifted its holdings in Altria Group by 62.9% in the fourth quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 510 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Price Performance

Shares of MO opened at $63.77 on Thursday. Altria Group has a 12 month low of $52.82 and a 12 month high of $70.51. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $65.45 and a 200 day moving average price of $62.52. The company has a market cap of $106.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.51, a PEG ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.45.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a net margin of 29.84% and a negative return on equity of 287.61%. Altria Group’s revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.30 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Altria Group will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th will be paid a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 25th. Altria Group’s payout ratio is presently 103.16%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on MO. Argus upgraded shares of Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on shares of Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Altria Group from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $65.11.

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.