Russell Investments Group Ltd. Sells 115,160 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Russell Investments Group Ltd. trimmed its holdings in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 6.9% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,556,419 shares of the company’s stock after selling 115,160 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned 0.09% of Altria Group worth $112,189,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in MO. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Navalign LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC boosted its position in Altria Group by 62.9% during the fourth 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. Miller Capital Partners Inc. bought a new position in Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Altria Group Trading Up 1.4%

Shares of MO stock opened at $66.08 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $110.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.46. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $70.41 and a 200 day simple moving average of $68.80. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $54.70 and a 1 year high of $77.06.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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 negative return on equity of 315.29% and a net margin of 33.99%.The company had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.35 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.44 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue 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. Analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 directly owned 73,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. This represents a 7.27% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total value of $145,120.00. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MO has been the topic of several research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. UBS Group upped their price target 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. Finally, Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $70.11.

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.