Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Shares Down 1.3% - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Altria Group shares fell 1.3% in midday trading, with volume below average as the stock moved from a prior close of $69.04 to around $68.11.
• Analyst opinion remains mixed: the stock has a consensus rating of Hold with an average target price of $69.22, even as some firms raised targets and maintained buy ratings.
• Altria recently beat earnings expectations, posting $1.32 EPS on $4.76 billion in revenue, and it also paid a quarterly dividend of $1.06 per share, implying a 6.2% yield.

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) shares were down 1.3% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $68.07 and last traded at $68.1110. Approximately 7,306,615 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 27% from the average daily volume of 10,050,971 shares. The stock had previously closed at $69.04.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on MO shares. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $77.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $69.22.

Altria Group Trading Down 1.3%

The company has a 50-day moving average price of $66.83 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $62.77. The stock has a market cap of $113.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.25, a P/E/G ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.48.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 298.69% and a net margin of 34.34%.Altria Group's revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.23 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 25th were paid a dividend of $1.06 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 25th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.2%. Altria Group's payout ratio is currently 88.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total value of $1,885,743.56. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares of the company's stock, valued at $12,221,318.33. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. raised its stake in Altria Group by 1.3% in the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 3,522,209 shares of the company's stock worth $232,677,000 after buying an additional 44,303 shares in the last quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC boosted its position in Altria Group by 14.1% during the 4th quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC now owns 202,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,647,000 after acquiring an additional 25,000 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 7.2% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 12,073,682 shares of the company's stock valued at $797,587,000 after acquiring an additional 814,665 shares during the period. Public Sector Pension Investment Board raised its position in shares of Altria Group by 13.7% in the 3rd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 144,725 shares of the company's stock worth $9,561,000 after acquiring an additional 17,429 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. lifted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 12.0% during the 3rd quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 796,225 shares of the company's stock worth $52,599,000 after purchasing an additional 85,177 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors 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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