HighTower Advisors LLC Has $101.10 Million Holdings in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

HighTower Advisors LLC cut its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 54.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,405,083 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,692,559 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $101,096,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Navalign LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Miller Capital Partners Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 62.9% during the 4th quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 510 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 197 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Altria Group by 78.8% in the first quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 524 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 231 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total value of $145,120.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 25,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. The trade was a 7.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the business’s 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. The trade was a 7.27% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Trading Up 1.4%

MO stock opened at $66.08 on Thursday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $70.41 and its 200 day moving average is $68.80. The stock has a market cap of $110.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.46. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $54.70 and a 1-year high of $77.06.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 315.29% and a net margin of 33.99%.The company had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.35 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.44 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. UBS Group raised their price objective on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. BTIG Research began coverage on Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Finally, Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.11.

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.