Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co Invests $21.42 Million in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co bought a new position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 297,700 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,420,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA bought a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group during the second quarter worth about $27,000. Navalign LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC raised its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 197 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new position in Altria Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MO opened at $65.87 on Monday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $54.70 and a 52-week high of $77.06. The company has a market capitalization of $109.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $70.20 and a 200 day simple moving average of $68.86.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have weighed in on MO shares. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, June 21st. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, 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. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $70.11.

Insider Activity at Altria Group

In related 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 value of $418,327.50. Following the sale, the director owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. This represents a 7.27% 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 Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total value of $145,120.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 25,102 shares of the company’s stock, 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.

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.