Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Director Sells $145,120.00 in Stock

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) Director Ellen Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction 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 sale, the director directly owned 25,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. This trade represents a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Altria Group Stock Performance

NYSE MO traded down $0.29 on Thursday, reaching $71.83. 3,813,679 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 9,716,601. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $68.02 and a 200-day moving average price of $63.89. The company has a market cap of $119.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.02, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.48. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $54.70 and a 12 month high of $74.56.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 298.69% and a net margin of 34.34%.Altria Group’s revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.23 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s payout ratio is presently 88.70%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently commented on MO. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Bank of America boosted their price target on Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Citigroup boosted their price target on Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Five research 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’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.44.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Security Financial Services INC. purchased a new position in Altria Group during the 1st quarter worth $214,000. Glenmede Trust Co. NA lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 219,607 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,492,000 after buying an additional 4,066 shares during the period. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 41.2% in the 1st quarter. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,836 shares of the company’s stock valued at $385,000 after buying an additional 1,704 shares during the period. Axiom Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 1st quarter valued at about $237,000. Finally, Essential Partners LLC raised its holdings in Altria Group by 16.4% in the 1st quarter. Essential Partners LLC now owns 1,956 shares of the company’s stock worth $129,000 after purchasing an additional 275 shares during the period. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.