Mid American Wealth Advisory Group Inc. Reduces Stock Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Mid American Wealth Advisory Group Inc. decreased its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 30.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 18,172 shares of the company’s stock after selling 8,053 shares during the quarter. Altria Group accounts for about 0.5% of Mid American Wealth Advisory Group Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest position. Mid American Wealth Advisory Group Inc.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $1,307,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group in the second quarter valued at $26,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Navalign LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC increased its holdings in Altria Group by 62.9% during the 4th quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 510 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 197 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new position in Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have issued reports on MO. BTIG Research began coverage on shares of Altria Group in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Barclays reduced their target price on Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. UBS Group boosted their price target on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Altria Group currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.11.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of MO opened at $68.80 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $54.70 and a fifty-two week high of $77.06. The company has a market capitalization of $114.88 billion, a PE ratio of 14.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.45. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $69.82 and a two-hundred day moving average of $69.07.

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). The business had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.35 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 315.29% and a net margin of 33.99%.Altria Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.44 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a $1.11 dividend. This is a positive change from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $4.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.5%. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 93.67%.

Altria Group 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.