Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Acquires 9,624 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. lifted its stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 4.8% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 210,032 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 9,624 shares during the quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $15,112,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Navalign LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC lifted its stake in Altria Group by 62.9% in the fourth quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 510 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. Miller Capital Partners Inc. bought a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MO has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $77.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, June 21st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.11.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of MO opened at $64.03 on Tuesday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $54.70 and a 52 week high of $77.06. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $70.68 and a 200-day moving average of $68.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $106.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.51, a PEG ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 0.46.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.50 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.35 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 33.99% and a negative return on equity of 315.29%. Altria Group’s revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.44 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total transaction of $145,120.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 25,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,821,401.12. This represents a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the 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 transaction, the director directly owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at $5,332,700.25. This trade represents a 7.27% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.