Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. Acquires 76,275 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 10.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 777,191 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 76,275 shares during the quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $44,813,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Navalign LLC bought a new position in Altria Group in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. EMC Capital Management bought a new position in Altria Group in the 3rd quarter worth about $33,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC bought a new position in Altria Group in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Gould Capital LLC bought a new position in Altria Group in the 3rd quarter worth about $39,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Barclays upped their target price on Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price objective on Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $69.33.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total transaction of $1,885,743.56. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at $12,221,318.33. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Altria Group Trading Down 0.0%

MO opened at $73.06 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $67.02 and a 200-day moving average price of $63.04. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $54.70 and a 12-month high of $74.56. The stock has a market capitalization of $122.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.28, a PEG ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.48.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) 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 firm had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.58 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.23 EPS. The company’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. On average, equities research analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $1.06 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.8%. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 88.70%.

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.