Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund Boosts Stake in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund grew its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 31.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 192,005 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 46,416 shares during the period. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $12,684,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Mattson Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group in the first quarter worth $25,000. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Altria Group in the second quarter valued at $25,000. Carderock Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in Altria Group in the second quarter valued at $26,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Country Trust Bank increased its holdings in Altria Group by 400.0% during the 2nd quarter. Country Trust Bank now owns 500 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the period. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently weighed in on MO. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 1st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, UBS Group raised shares of Altria Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $61.00 to $63.00 in a research report on Friday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $62.56.

Altria Group Stock Up 2.9%

Shares of Altria Group stock opened at $57.54 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $50.08 and a 52 week high of $68.60. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $58.01 and its two-hundred day moving average is $61.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $96.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.98, a P/E/G ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 0.47.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $1.45 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.44 by $0.01. Altria Group had a net margin of 37.89% and a negative return on equity of 319.43%. The business had revenue of $5.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.31 billion. The company’s revenue was down 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.38 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.370-5.45 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 26th were issued a dividend of $1.06 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 26th. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.4%. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 80.92%.

Altria Group declared that its board has initiated a share repurchase program on Thursday, October 30th that permits the company to buyback $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to buy up to 1.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Altria Group 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.