Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Sells 7,828 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio cut its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 1.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 713,739 shares of the company’s stock after selling 7,828 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $47,100,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Navalign LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC boosted its holdings 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 last quarter. Finally, Miller Capital Partners Inc. bought a new position in shares of Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Altria Group News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Altria Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Altria is approaching earnings with expectations for higher revenue and year-over-year EPS growth, which supports the case for continued fundamental strength. Altria Group (MO) Nears Earnings, Is The Recent Rally Already Priced In?
• Positive Sentiment: The stock has outperformed over the past year, helped by a strong year-to-date gain and solid total shareholder return, reinforcing momentum around the name. Altria Group (MO) Nears Earnings, Is The Recent Rally Already Priced In?
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple pre-earnings previews say investors should not assume a blowout report, noting Altria does not appear to have the strongest setup for an earnings beat. Altria (MO) Earnings Expected to Grow: What to Know Ahead of Next Week’s Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Shares are being compared with consumer staples peers, with coverage suggesting the stock’s relative performance is a key focus rather than a major new catalyst. Is Altria Group (MO) Stock Outpacing Its Consumer Staples Peers This Year?
• Negative Sentiment: One analyst report downgraded Altria, arguing that the stock’s strong outperformance has made it look expensive, which could pressure valuation sentiment. Altria: Outperformance Makes It Pricey (Rating Downgrade)

Altria Group Stock Up 1.2%

MO opened at $72.96 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $54.70 and a 12-month high of $75.28. The business has a 50 day moving average of $71.91 and a 200-day moving average of $67.75. The stock has a market cap of $121.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.26, a PEG ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.45.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 business had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.23 EPS. The firm’s revenue 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. As a group, analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed 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. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s payout ratio is 88.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, June 21st. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.78.

Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group

In other news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total value of $418,327.50. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 73,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,332,700.25. This represents a 7.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total transaction of $145,120.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at $1,821,401.12. The trade was a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.