Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Trading Down 1.2% – What’s Next?

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) shares were down 1.2% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $65.66 and last traded at $66.3410. Approximately 9,204,596 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 9% from the average daily volume of 10,166,935 shares. The stock had previously closed at $67.14.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MO has been the topic of several analyst reports. Argus raised Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Altria Group from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Five research 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, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $65.11.

Altria Group Stock Performance

The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $63.63 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $62.57. The firm has a market cap of $110.92 billion, a PE ratio of 16.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 0.45.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.32 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 287.61% and a net margin of 29.84%.During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.30 earnings per share. Altria Group’s revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th will be paid a dividend of $1.06 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 25th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.4%. Altria Group’s payout ratio is currently 103.16%.

Insider Activity

In other 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 value of $1,885,743.56. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at $12,221,318.33. This trade represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.08% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Altria Group

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Navalign LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Country Trust Bank grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 400.0% during the 2nd quarter. Country Trust Bank now owns 500 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares during the period. EMC Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Creative Capital Management Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter worth $29,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.