Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Price Target Raised to $74.00 at UBS Group

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) had its price target hoisted by stock analysts at UBS Group from $67.00 to $74.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the stock. UBS Group’s price target indicates a potential upside of 10.56% from the stock’s previous close.

MO has been the subject of a number of other reports. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Argus upgraded shares of Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $65.11.

Altria Group Price Performance

Shares of MO stock traded up $0.42 on Monday, reaching $66.93. 9,484,583 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 10,207,175. The stock has a market cap of $111.91 billion, a PE ratio of 16.29, a P/E/G ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 0.45. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $63.25 and a 200 day moving average price of $62.58. Altria Group has a one year low of $52.82 and a one year high of $70.51.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a net margin of 29.84% and a negative return on equity of 287.61%. The business’s revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.30 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that Altria Group will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In other news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total value of $1,885,743.56. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.08% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Altria Group

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MO. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Navalign LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Country Trust Bank increased its stake in shares of Altria Group by 400.0% in the second quarter. Country Trust Bank now owns 500 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC purchased a new position in Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Hughes Financial Services LLC raised its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 197 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

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.