Lowe Brockenbrough & Co. Inc. Grows Holdings in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Lowe Brockenbrough & Co. Inc. increased its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 47.4% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 76,725 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 24,670 shares during the quarter. Lowe Brockenbrough & Co. Inc.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $4,424,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Navalign LLC purchased a new stake in Altria Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Altria Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. EMC Capital Management purchased a new stake in Altria Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Elevation Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in Altria Group by 79.0% in the 4th quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 630 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 278 shares in the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Altria Group Price Performance

MO stock opened at $72.32 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $54.70 and a 1-year high of $74.56. The company has a market capitalization of $120.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.13, a PEG ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.46. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $68.80 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $64.45.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 business had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.23 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 88.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MO has been the subject of several analyst reports. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.44.

Insider Activity at Altria Group

In other news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was 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 represents a 7.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 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 value of $418,327.50. Following the transaction, the director owned 73,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,332,700.25. This represents a 7.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.10% 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.