Global X Japan Co. Ltd. Raises Stock Holdings in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Global X Japan Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 367.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 114,114 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 89,691 shares during the period. Global X Japan Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $6,580,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. CoreCap Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 94,260 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,435,000 after buying an additional 1,830 shares during the last quarter. Sage Advisors LLC grew its position in Altria Group by 12.4% in the fourth quarter. Sage Advisors LLC now owns 73,670 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,248,000 after acquiring an additional 8,103 shares in the last quarter. Synergy Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $661,000. LongView Wealth Management lifted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 6.9% in the 4th quarter. LongView Wealth Management now owns 4,634 shares of the company’s stock valued at $271,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norden Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 437.0% in the 4th quarter. Norden Group LLC now owns 156,434 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,020,000 after purchasing an additional 127,304 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In other news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction 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 in the company, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. This trade represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.08% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MO has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target 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. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Argus upgraded Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, UBS Group increased their target price on Altria Group from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $65.11.

Altria Group Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of NYSE MO opened at $64.60 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $52.82 and a twelve month high of $70.51. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $65.51 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $62.54. The firm has a market cap of $108.00 billion, a PE ratio of 15.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.45.

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

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th will be issued a dividend of $1.06 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 25th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.6%. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 103.16%.

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.