Annex Advisory Services LLC Increases Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Annex Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 82.8% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 99,819 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 45,211 shares during the quarter. Annex Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $7,182,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of MO. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the second quarter worth about $27,000. Navalign LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC bought a new position in Altria Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 62.9% in the 4th quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 510 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 197 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. BTIG Research initiated coverage on Altria Group in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Barclays lowered their price objective on Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Five research 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’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.11.

Insider Activity at Altria Group

In related news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the director directly owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at $1,821,401.12. This trade represents a 7.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction 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 sale, the director directly owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at $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 company insiders.

Altria Group Stock Down 0.8%

Altria Group stock opened at $65.05 on Wednesday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $54.70 and a 52-week high of $77.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $108.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.72, a PEG ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.46. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $71.19 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $68.67.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.50 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.35 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 33.99% and a negative return on equity of 315.29%. Altria Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.44 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. Research analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were given a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.5%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 89.45%.

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.