Burford Brothers Inc. Sells 9,823 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Burford Brothers Inc. lowered its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 19.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 40,824 shares of the company’s stock after selling 9,823 shares during the period. Altria Group accounts for approximately 1.1% of Burford Brothers Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest position. Burford Brothers Inc.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $2,694,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. Navalign LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC raised its holdings in Altria Group by 62.9% during the fourth quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 510 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Miller Capital Partners Inc. bought a new position in shares of Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Altria Group Trading Up 0.1%

MO opened at $72.77 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $121.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.22, a PEG ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.45. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $71.08 and a 200-day moving average price of $66.27. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $54.70 and a 12-month high of $74.56.

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

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is 88.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Altria Group news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total transaction of $145,120.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 25,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,821,401.12. This represents a 7.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total transaction of $418,327.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. This trade represents a 7.27% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have issued reports on MO. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, June 21st. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Bank of America lifted their price target on Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Citigroup raised their target price on Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.44.

About Altria Group

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.