Wealthfront Advisers LLC Raises Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Wealthfront Advisers LLC grew its holdings in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 6.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 310,052 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 17,454 shares during the quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $20,460,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group in the second quarter valued at $27,000. Navalign LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Miller Capital Partners Inc. purchased a new stake in Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, Hughes Financial Services LLC grew its holdings in 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 buying an additional 197 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, June 21st. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.78.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Altria Group news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total value of $418,327.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 73,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,332,700.25. This trade represents a 7.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total transaction of $145,120.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 25,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,821,401.12. This trade represents a 7.38% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Altria Group Price Performance

NYSE:MO opened at $73.00 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $71.60 and its two-hundred day moving average is $67.16. The firm has a market capitalization of $121.90 billion, a PE ratio of 15.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.45. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $54.70 and a 12 month high of $74.56.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 298.69% and a net margin of 34.34%.The company had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.23 earnings per share. The company’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. Equities analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.7 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

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

Altria Group Company 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.