PNC Financial Services Group Inc. Sells 11,604 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lessened its holdings in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 0.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,886,348 shares of the company’s stock after selling 11,604 shares during the quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. owned 0.11% of Altria Group worth $108,767,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Viking Fund Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Altria Group by 14.1% in the fourth quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC now owns 202,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,647,000 after buying an additional 25,000 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in Altria Group by 7.2% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 12,073,682 shares of the company’s stock valued at $797,587,000 after buying an additional 814,665 shares during the last quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board boosted its position in Altria Group by 13.7% during the 3rd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 144,725 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,561,000 after buying an additional 17,429 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE grew its holdings in Altria Group by 3.2% in the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 603,834 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,889,000 after acquiring an additional 18,626 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Peterson Wealth Services bought a new stake in Altria Group in the 3rd quarter worth $3,926,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Friday, May 1st. UBS Group raised their target price on Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Altria Group has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $69.33.

Altria Group Price Performance

MO stock opened at $73.37 on Thursday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $54.70 and a 1 year high of $74.56. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $67.43 and a 200 day moving average of $63.31. The company has a market cap of $122.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.35, a PEG ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.48.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 298.69% and a net margin of 34.34%.The firm had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.23 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 88.70%.

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In other Altria Group news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total transaction of $1,885,743.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 180,869 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. This trade represents a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.