Cornerstone Wealth Group LLC Raises Stock Holdings in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Cornerstone Wealth Group LLC boosted its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 5.9% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 162,195 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 9,065 shares during the quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Group LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $10,486,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in MO. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Navalign LLC purchased a new position in Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. EMC Capital Management purchased a new position in Altria Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Miller Capital Partners Inc. bought a new stake in Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of MO stock opened at $73.73 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $74.56. The company’s 50-day moving average is $70.29 and its 200 day moving average is $65.78. The company has a market capitalization of $123.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.46.

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 analysts’ expectations of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.23 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 earnings per share 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 issued a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s payout ratio is presently 88.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Wall Street Zen cut Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, June 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price objective on Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.44.

Altria Group 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.