Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Shares Down 1.2% – What’s Next?

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO)’s share price dropped 1.2% on Thursday . The company traded as low as $67.50 and last traded at $67.6410. 10,370,118 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 11% from the average session volume of 9,337,322 shares. The stock had previously closed at $68.44.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on MO. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen cut Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, June 21st. Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.78.

Altria Group Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $112.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $71.45 and a 200 day moving average price of $68.52.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 315.29% and a net margin of 33.99%.The firm had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.35 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.44 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. On average, equities 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 was paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s payout ratio is presently 89.45%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the business’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 transaction, the director owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. The trade was a 7.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 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.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the second quarter valued at $27,000. Navalign LLC bought a new position in Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Miller Capital Partners Inc. bought a new stake in Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Hughes Financial Services LLC raised its holdings in Altria Group by 62.9% in the fourth quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 510 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

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.