World Investment Advisors Buys 55,543 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

World Investment Advisors boosted its stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 114.2% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 104,162 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 55,543 shares during the period. World Investment Advisors’ holdings in Altria Group were worth $6,006,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Viking Fund Management LLC boosted its holdings in Altria Group by 14.1% in the fourth quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC now owns 202,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,647,000 after acquiring an additional 25,000 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in Altria Group by 7.2% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 12,073,682 shares of the company’s stock valued at $797,587,000 after acquiring an additional 814,665 shares during the last quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 13.7% during the 3rd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 144,725 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,561,000 after buying an additional 17,429 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 3.2% during the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 603,834 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,889,000 after buying an additional 18,626 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Peterson Wealth Services bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $3,926,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Altria Group stock opened at $72.19 on Thursday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $54.70 and a 52-week high of $74.56. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $68.02 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $63.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $120.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.10, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.48.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 298.69% and a net margin of 34.34%.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 earned $1.23 earnings per share. Altria Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 88.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group

In other news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total transaction of $1,885,743.56. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,221,318.33. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have issued reports on MO. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Barclays increased their price target on Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Wall Street Zen cut Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 16th. UBS Group increased their price target on Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Altria Group has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $70.44.

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.