Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co Purchases Shares of 297,700 Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm acquired 297,700 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,420,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in MO. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Navalign LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC boosted its stake in Altria Group by 62.9% in the 4th 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 period. Finally, Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new position in Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MO opened at $65.87 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $109.99 billion, a PE ratio of 13.90, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.46. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $70.20 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $68.86. Altria Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $54.70 and a fifty-two week high of $77.06.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.35 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 33.99% and a negative return on equity of 315.29%. The business’s revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.44 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MO has been the topic of several recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, June 21st. Finally, Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. 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’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $70.11.

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In related news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total transaction of $418,327.50. Following the completion of the sale, 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total transaction of $145,120.00. Following the sale, the director owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at $1,821,401.12. The trade was a 7.38% 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 owned by insiders.

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.