Councilmark Asset Management LLC Makes New Investment in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Councilmark Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) during the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm bought 7,966 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $573,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Navalign LLC bought a new position in Altria Group in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC grew its position in 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 purchasing an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on MO. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $77.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price objective on Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Barclays decreased their price target on Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Altria Group presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.11.

Altria Group Trading Down 0.6%

MO stock opened at $68.08 on Wednesday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $54.70 and a 52 week high of $77.06. The company has a market capitalization of $113.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.46. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $70.14 and its two-hundred day moving average is $68.91.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.50 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a net margin of 33.99% and a negative return on equity of 315.29%. The company had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.35 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.44 earnings per share. The company’s 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 5.67 earnings per share for the current year.

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.