International Assets Investment Management LLC Sells 42,300 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

International Assets Investment Management LLC trimmed its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 56.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 33,273 shares of the company’s stock after selling 42,300 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $2,196,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of MO. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Altria Group by 10.6% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 65,516,916 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,777,931,000 after acquiring an additional 6,265,780 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 286.7% in the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 4,479,699 shares of the company’s stock worth $295,929,000 after acquiring an additional 3,321,262 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 19.4% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 19,567,823 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,285,575,000 after purchasing an additional 3,172,753 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 438.6% in the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 3,637,678 shares of the company’s stock valued at $209,749,000 after purchasing an additional 2,962,270 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 160,980,626 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,282,143,000 after purchasing an additional 1,903,530 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Trading Down 0.0%

MO stock opened at $71.78 on Monday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $71.58 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $66.80. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $54.70 and a 12-month high of $74.56. The stock has a market capitalization of $119.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.02, a PEG ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.45.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.23 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.7 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MO has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $77.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price objective on Altria Group in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Altria Group presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.78.

Insider Activity at Altria Group

In other news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total transaction of $418,327.50. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 73,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. The trade was a 7.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. This represents a 7.38% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.