Security National Bank Purchases 8,905 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Security National Bank boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 438.2% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 10,937 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 8,905 shares during the period. Security National Bank’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $722,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake 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 purchasing an additional 6,954 shares during the period. Federation des caisses Desjardins du Quebec raised its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 15.5% in the 1st quarter. Federation des caisses Desjardins du Quebec now owns 89,957 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,399,000 after buying an additional 12,050 shares in the last quarter. Promethium Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 27.6% in the 1st quarter. Promethium Advisors LLC now owns 60,555 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,695,000 after buying an additional 13,096 shares in the last quarter. 1 North Wealth Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $143,000. Finally, Aprio Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Altria Group by 35.3% in the 1st quarter. Aprio Wealth Management LLC now owns 22,149 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,329,000 after buying an additional 5,782 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Stock Up 0.2%

Altria Group stock opened at $57.75 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $58.89 and a 200 day simple moving average of $61.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $96.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.02, a P/E/G ratio of 3.27 and a beta of 0.48. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $50.08 and a 12-month high of $68.60.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $1.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.44 by $0.01. Altria Group had a net margin of 37.89% and a negative return on equity of 319.43%. The firm had revenue of $5.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.31 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.38 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Altria Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.370-5.45 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback program on Thursday, October 30th that permits the company to buyback $2.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to repurchase up to 1.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 26th will be paid a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 26th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is 80.92%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MO has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group dropped their price objective on Altria Group from $68.00 to $61.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $72.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 1st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Altria Group currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $62.33.

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.