Virtus Advisers LLC Takes Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Virtus Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 11,506 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $828,000.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group during the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Navalign LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Miller Capital Partners Inc. purchased a new position in Altria Group in the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Hughes Financial Services LLC raised its position in Altria Group by 62.9% in the 4th quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 510 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In other news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total transaction of $418,327.50. Following the sale, the director owned 73,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. The trade was a 7.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the business’s 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 transaction, the director owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at $1,821,401.12. This represents a 7.38% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on MO shares. Citigroup raised their price objective on Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 target price on Altria Group in a research note on Friday, May 1st. UBS Group raised their price target on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, June 21st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.11.

Altria Group Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of MO stock opened at $65.87 on Monday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $70.20 and a 200 day moving average of $68.86. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $54.70 and a 52 week high of $77.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $109.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.90, a PEG ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.46.

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

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.