Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Trading Down 1.5% – Should You Sell?

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO)’s stock price fell 1.5% during trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $64.00 and last traded at $64.43. 7,855,732 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 30% from the average session volume of 11,238,112 shares. The stock had previously closed at $65.40.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on MO. UBS Group increased their price target on Altria Group from $63.00 to $67.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Argus raised Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price target on Altria Group from $57.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Altria Group has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $63.67.

Altria Group Price Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average of $59.69 and a two-hundred day moving average of $61.99. The company has a market capitalization of $108.16 billion, a PE ratio of 15.68, a P/E/G ratio of 3.60 and a beta of 0.47.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 287.61% and a net margin of 29.84%.The company had revenue of $5.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.02 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.30 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 26th were issued a dividend of $1.06 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 26th. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.6%. Altria Group’s payout ratio is currently 103.16%.

Altria Group declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase plan on Thursday, October 30th that permits the company to buyback $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to buy up to 1.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Altria Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MO. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Navalign LLC purchased a new stake in Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Country Trust Bank raised its position in shares of Altria Group by 400.0% during the second quarter. Country Trust Bank now owns 500 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Anfield Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 334.7% in the second quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 539 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 415 shares in the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.