Alps Advisors Inc. Grows Stock Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Alps Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 12.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 523,906 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 58,450 shares during the quarter. Alps Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $30,208,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MO. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Altria Group during the second quarter worth about $27,000. Navalign LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 62.9% in the 4th 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. Finally, EMC Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 3rd quarter worth about $33,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total transaction of $145,120.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. This trade represents a 7.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total value of $418,327.50. Following the sale, the director owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. The trade was a 7.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MO opened at $71.46 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $119.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.95, a PEG ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.46. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $74.56. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $69.27 and its 200 day simple moving average is $64.87.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced 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 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%.The company’s revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.23 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 earnings per share 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 issued a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 88.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently commented on MO. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price objective on Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Bank of America raised their price objective on Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Barclays raised their price objective on Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Five equities 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, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $70.44.

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.