Todd Asset Management LLC Purchases 17,704 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Todd Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 824,190 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 17,704 shares during the period. Todd Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $59,300,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Navalign LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC increased its holdings in Altria Group by 62.9% during the fourth 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. Miller Capital Partners Inc. purchased a new position in Altria Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC bought a new position in Altria Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $33,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Altria Group Trading Up 2.1%

Shares of NYSE MO opened at $65.32 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $70.55 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $68.75. The stock has a market cap of $109.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.78, a PEG ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 0.46. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $54.70 and a 12 month high of $77.06.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.35 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.44 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. Analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on MO. Citigroup raised their price objective on Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. BTIG Research began coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.11.

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.