IFP Advisors Inc Acquires 12,924 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

IFP Advisors Inc raised its holdings in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 26.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 61,844 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 12,924 shares during the period. IFP Advisors Inc’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $3,566,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Altria Group in the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Navalign LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. EMC Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the third quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Elevation Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 79.0% during the fourth quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 630 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 278 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Price Performance

Altria Group stock opened at $73.61 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $67.56 and its 200 day moving average is $63.43. The firm has a market cap of $122.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.40, a P/E/G ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.48. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $74.56.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted 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 company had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 298.69% and a net margin of 34.34%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.23 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s payout ratio is currently 88.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on MO. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price target on Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. Bank of America boosted their price target on Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Barclays boosted their price target on Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price target on Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $69.33.

Insider Activity at Altria Group

In related news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total value of $1,885,743.56. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,221,318.33. The trade was a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.