Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Director Ennis Debra Kelly Sells 5,790 Shares

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) Director Ennis Debra Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total transaction of $418,327.50. Following the sale, the director directly owned 73,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,332,700.25. This represents a 7.27% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Altria Group Trading Down 0.2%

NYSE MO opened at $71.94 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $120.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.05, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.48. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $68.12 and its 200 day simple moving average is $63.98. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $54.70 and a 1 year high of $74.56.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.23 EPS. 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 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $1.06 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.9%. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 88.70%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently commented on MO. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $70.44.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lifted its holdings in Altria Group by 5.8% in the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 2,619 shares of the company’s stock worth $191,000 after purchasing an additional 143 shares during the period. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Altria Group by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,704 shares of the company’s stock worth $733,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the period. Kanawha Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Altria Group by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC now owns 19,546 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,127,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the period. Strategic Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Altria Group by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 8,243 shares of the company’s stock worth $475,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the period. Finally, Patten Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Altria Group by 4.0% in the first quarter. Patten Group Inc. now owns 4,165 shares of the company’s stock worth $275,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.