Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Hits New 52-Week High - What's Next?

Key Points

• Altria shares reached a new 52-week high, trading as high as $76.17 and last changing hands near $76.48. The stock’s consensus analyst rating remains “Hold,” with an average price target of $70.78.
• Altria reported quarterly EPS of $1.32, beating estimates of $1.25, while revenue rose 5.3% year over year to $4.76 billion. The company’s full-year 2026 guidance is $5.56–$5.72 in EPS.
• The company maintains an attractive income profile, recently paying a $1.06 quarterly dividend, equivalent to a 5.5% yield and a $4.24 annualized payout. However, the payout ratio is high at 88.7%, and two directors recently sold shares.

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report)'s share price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $76.17 and last traded at $76.4750, with a volume of 1314909 shares. The stock had previously closed at $72.89.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on MO shares. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Altria Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, June 21st. BTIG Research assumed coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a "neutral" rating on the stock. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $70.78.

Altria Group Stock Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $127.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.01, a P/E/G ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.45. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $71.90 and a 200-day simple moving average of $67.95.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The firm had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.58 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.23 EPS. The company's revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.5%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. Altria Group's payout ratio is presently 88.70%.

Insider Activity at Altria Group

In other news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of Altria Group 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 approximately $5,332,700.25. The trade was a 7.27% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total value of $145,120.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at $1,821,401.12. This represents a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Altria Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 5.8% during the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 2,619 shares of the company's stock worth $191,000 after purchasing an additional 143 shares during the period. Bernardo Wealth Planning LLC raised its holdings in Altria Group by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter. Bernardo Wealth Planning LLC now owns 3,379 shares of the company's stock valued at $243,000 after buying an additional 149 shares during the period. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Altria Group by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,704 shares of the company's stock valued at $733,000 after buying an additional 154 shares during the last quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Altria Group by 0.8% in the fourth 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Strategic Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Altria Group by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 8,243 shares of the company's stock worth $475,000 after buying an additional 160 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company's stock.

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.

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