MidFirst Bank Invests $696,000 in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

MidFirst Bank purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 12,079 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $696,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Navalign LLC purchased a new stake in Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC lifted its position in shares of Altria Group by 62.9% during 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on MO shares. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Five investment 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’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $70.44.

Altria Group Stock Up 0.1%

MO stock opened at $69.18 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $69.72 and a 200 day moving average price of $65.31. The stock has a market cap of $115.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.47, a PEG ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.46. Altria Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $54.70 and a fifty-two week high of $74.56.

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

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a $1.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.1%. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 88.70%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Altria Group news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the company’s 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 completion of 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. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total value of $145,120.00. Following the transaction, the director directly 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 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.