Louisiana State Employees Retirement System Invests $5.64 Million in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 85,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,642,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in Altria Group by 64.7% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 17,702 shares of the company’s stock worth $926,000 after acquiring an additional 6,954 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 86.3% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 6,361 shares of the company’s stock valued at $373,000 after purchasing an additional 2,946 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 6.9% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 9,630 shares of the company’s stock valued at $565,000 after purchasing an additional 618 shares during the period. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the second quarter worth about $346,000. Finally, AXA S.A. acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth about $5,752,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Trading Up 0.7%

MO stock opened at $73.73 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $70.29 and a two-hundred day moving average of $65.78. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $54.70 and a 12 month high of $74.56. The company has a market cap of $123.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.43, a PEG ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.46.

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 the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 298.69% and a net margin of 34.34%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.23 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 88.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Bank of America increased their target price on Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, June 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted 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. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Altria Group presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.44.

Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group

In other Altria Group news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total value of $418,327.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 73,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,332,700.25. This trade represents a 7.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total value of $145,120.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. This represents a 7.38% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.