Kestra Advisory Services LLC Has $37.91 Million Holdings in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Kestra Advisory Services LLC increased its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 13.9% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 574,447 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 70,180 shares during the period. Kestra Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $37,908,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of MO. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 64.7% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 17,702 shares of the company’s stock worth $926,000 after buying an additional 6,954 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in Altria Group by 86.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 6,361 shares of the company’s stock valued at $373,000 after buying an additional 2,946 shares in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. boosted its stake in Altria Group by 6.9% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 9,630 shares of the company’s stock valued at $565,000 after buying an additional 618 shares in the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL bought a new stake in Altria Group in the second quarter valued at $346,000. Finally, AXA S.A. acquired a new position in Altria Group during the second quarter worth $5,752,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Altria Group Price Performance

Shares of MO stock traded up $0.19 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $71.78. 7,334,373 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,513,980. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $71.58 and its 200-day moving average is $66.74. The stock has a market cap of $119.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 0.45. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $54.70 and a 52 week high of $74.56.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 298.69% and a net margin of 34.34%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.23 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a $1.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.9%. Altria Group’s payout ratio is currently 88.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on MO shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, June 21st. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective 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. Five 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $70.78.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Altria Group news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total transaction of $145,120.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 25,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. This represents a 7.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the 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. The trade was a 7.27% 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 currently owned by corporate 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.