Altria Group, Inc. $MO Shares Purchased by Blue Capital Inc.

Blue Capital Inc. increased its holdings in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 169.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 16,270 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 10,226 shares during the period. Blue Capital Inc.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $938,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Navalign LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC purchased a new position in Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC increased its position in shares of Altria Group by 62.9% during the fourth quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 510 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Miller Capital Partners Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of MO opened at $69.18 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $115.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.47, a PEG ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.46. Altria Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $54.70 and a fifty-two week high of $74.56. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $69.67 and its 200 day moving average price is $65.28.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its quarterly 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 company 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 firm’s revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.23 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Research analysts forecast 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 $1.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.1%. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 88.70%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Altria Group news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the company’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 owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at $1,821,401.12. This represents a 7.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the director directly owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at $5,332,700.25. This represents a 7.27% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently weighed in on MO. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Bank of America raised their price target on Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Barclays increased their target price on Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Citigroup raised their target price on Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a 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 given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $70.44.

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.