Altria Group, Inc. $MO Stock Position Reduced by AlphaQuest LLC

AlphaQuest LLC cut its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 14.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 43,441 shares of the company’s stock after selling 7,052 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $2,505,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Smithfield Trust Co grew its position in Altria Group by 6.7% during the fourth quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 7,528 shares of the company’s stock valued at $433,000 after purchasing an additional 473 shares in the last quarter. AR Asset Management Inc. grew its position in Altria Group by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. AR Asset Management Inc. now owns 104,401 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,020,000 after acquiring an additional 1,350 shares in the last quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC grew its position in Altria Group by 7.4% in the fourth quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC now owns 72,513 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,181,000 after acquiring an additional 4,982 shares in the last quarter. Cary Street Partners Financial LLC grew its position in Altria Group by 8.6% in the fourth quarter. Cary Street Partners Financial LLC now owns 39,295 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,266,000 after acquiring an additional 3,116 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allied Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $339,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Altria Group Price Performance

NYSE:MO opened at $72.41 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $120.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.15, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.48. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $74.56. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $67.93 and a 200 day moving average price of $63.78.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.23 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a dividend of $1.06 per share. 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 presently 88.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were 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 $12,221,318.33. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 16th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $69.33.

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.