Louisiana State Employees Retirement System Invests $5.64 Million in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 85,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,642,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Altria Group by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,704 shares of the company’s stock worth $733,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC increased its position in Altria Group by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC now owns 19,546 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,127,000 after buying an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC raised its stake in Altria Group by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 8,243 shares of the company’s stock valued at $475,000 after buying an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Acorn Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Altria Group by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Acorn Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 10,117 shares of the company’s stock worth $583,000 after acquiring an additional 163 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Truvestments Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Truvestments Capital LLC now owns 10,498 shares of the company’s stock worth $605,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Price Performance

NYSE:MO opened at $73.73 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $70.29 and its 200-day moving average price is $65.78. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $54.70 and a 1-year high of $74.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $123.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.43, a PEG ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.46.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The firm’s revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.23 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity at Altria Group

In other news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the firm’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 transaction of $418,327.50. Following 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of Altria Group 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 transaction, the director directly owned 25,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. This trade represents a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on MO. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective 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. Barclays boosted their target price 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. Citigroup raised 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. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Altria Group has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $70.44.

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.