Ascentis Independent Advisors Raises Stock Holdings in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Ascentis Independent Advisors raised its stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 344.3% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 79,580 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 61,670 shares during the quarter. Ascentis Independent Advisors’ holdings in Altria Group were worth $5,252,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Altria Group by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,704 shares of the company’s stock worth $733,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the period. Kanawha Capital Management LLC raised its position in Altria Group by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC now owns 19,546 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,127,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the period. Strategic Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Altria Group by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 8,243 shares of the company’s stock worth $475,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Patten Group Inc. lifted its stake in Altria Group by 4.0% during the first quarter. Patten Group Inc. now owns 4,165 shares of the company’s stock worth $275,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Acorn Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Altria Group by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Acorn Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 10,117 shares of the company’s stock worth $583,000 after buying an additional 163 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Altria Group news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total transaction of $418,327.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at $5,332,700.25. This represents a 7.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of Altria Group stock opened at $72.77 on Monday. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $74.56. The company has a market cap of $121.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.22, a PEG ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.45. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $71.08 and a two-hundred day moving average of $66.33.

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

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.8%. Altria Group’s payout ratio is currently 88.70%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on MO. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price objective on Altria Group in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Citigroup lifted 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. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target 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. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a 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 issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price 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.