Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Stock Price Down 1.6% – Should You Sell?

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) shares were down 1.6% on Thursday . The company traded as low as $69.00 and last traded at $69.0460. Approximately 8,573,869 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 15% from the average daily volume of 10,081,145 shares. The stock had previously closed at $70.17.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on MO shares. Citigroup upped 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. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Bank of America upped their target price on Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Altria Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $69.22.

Altria Group Price Performance

The business has a fifty day moving average of $66.83 and a 200 day moving average of $62.74. The stock has a market cap of $115.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.44, a P/E/G ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.48.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 298.69% and a net margin of 34.34%.The firm had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.23 earnings per share. The firm’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. On average, analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 25th were issued a $1.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 25th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.1%. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 88.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Altria Group news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total transaction of $1,885,743.56. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at $12,221,318.33. This trade represents a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Altria Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Navalign LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC grew 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 valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new position in Altria Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

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.