Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Stock Price Up 1.9% – Time to Buy?

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO)’s share price traded up 1.9% on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $70.74 and last traded at $69.9420. 8,331,353 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 17% from the average session volume of 10,038,390 shares. The stock had previously closed at $68.61.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Altria Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Argus upgraded shares of Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $69.22.

Altria Group Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $116.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.48. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $66.78 and its 200 day simple moving average is $62.83.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 in the previous year, the business posted $1.23 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th were paid a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.1%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 25th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is 88.70%.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total value of $1,885,743.56. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Altria Group

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MO. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Navalign LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 62.9% in the 4th quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 510 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% 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.