Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Reaches New 52-Week High – Still a Buy?

Shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $75.24 and last traded at $75.0850, with a volume of 1502092 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $73.03.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Finally, UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.78.

Altria Group Trading Up 1.8%

The stock has a market capitalization of $124.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.45. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $71.60 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $67.16.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 298.69% and a net margin of 34.34%.The company had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.23 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.7 earnings per share 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 paid a $1.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.7%. Altria Group’s payout ratio is 88.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Ellen R. 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 completion of the sale, the director owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at $1,821,401.12. The trade was a 7.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total transaction of $418,327.50. Following the transaction, the director owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at $5,332,700.25. The trade was a 7.27% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Altria Group

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group in the second quarter valued at $27,000. Navalign LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 62.9% in the 4th quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 510 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 197 shares during the period. Finally, Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.