Daiwa Securities Group Inc. Increases Stake in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 13.1% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 572,546 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 66,214 shares during the period. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $33,013,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Navalign LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. EMC Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Elevation Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 79.0% during the 4th quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 630 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 278 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Altria Group news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total transaction of $145,120.00. Following the sale, the director owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. This trade represents a 7.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. The trade was a 7.27% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MO has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 16th. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.44.

Altria Group Trading Up 2.4%

MO opened at $72.32 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $120.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.13, a PEG ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.46. The company’s 50 day moving average is $68.80 and its 200 day moving average is $64.45. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $54.70 and a 12-month high of $74.56.

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. The company had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The firm’s revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.23 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a $1.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.9%. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 88.70%.

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.