Beacon Financial Group Cuts Stock Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Beacon Financial Group cut its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 58.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 30,124 shares of the company’s stock after selling 42,638 shares during the quarter. Beacon Financial Group’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $1,988,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of MO. Viking Fund Management LLC raised its position in shares of Altria Group by 14.1% in the 4th quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC now owns 202,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,647,000 after purchasing an additional 25,000 shares during the last quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund grew its position in Altria Group by 7.1% during the 4th quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 668,243 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,531,000 after purchasing an additional 44,267 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its stake in Altria Group by 438.6% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 3,637,678 shares of the company’s stock valued at $209,749,000 after purchasing an additional 2,962,270 shares in the last quarter. Rayburn West Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in Altria Group in the fourth quarter worth about $2,438,000. Finally, North Dakota State Investment Board purchased a new position in Altria Group in the fourth quarter worth about $3,336,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Altria Group Stock Down 1.9%

Shares of Altria Group stock opened at $71.45 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $54.70 and a twelve month high of $74.56. The company’s 50 day moving average is $71.50 and its 200 day moving average is $66.71. The company has a market cap of $119.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.45.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.23 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

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 given a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is 88.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a research note 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. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price 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, Wall Street Zen downgraded Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, June 21st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $70.78.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Altria Group news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total value of $418,327.50. Following the transaction, the director owned 73,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. This represents a 7.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, 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 value of $145,120.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at $1,821,401.12. The trade was a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.