Leonteq Securities AG Takes Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Leonteq Securities AG purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 21,623 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,247,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Navalign LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. EMC Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $33,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Gould Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $39,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Altria Group Stock Performance

NYSE MO opened at $73.61 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $54.70 and a 52-week high of $74.56. The company has a market capitalization 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. The company has a fifty day moving average of $67.56 and a 200-day moving average of $63.43.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The company had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.23 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. 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 5.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Bank of America lifted 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. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. 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. According to data from MarketBeat, Altria Group presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $69.33.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Altria Group news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the sale, 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 document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.