Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Shares Down 1.6% - What's Next?

Key Points

• Shares fell 1.6% to about $65.95 on Tuesday with volume slightly above average, leaving the stock near its 50-day moving average and little immediate price momentum.
• Analysts are divided—five Buys, five Holds and two Sells—giving a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target of $65.11 (recent targets range roughly $57–$74), signaling mixed expectations for upside.
• Altria declared a quarterly dividend of $1.06 (annualized $4.24) for a 6.4% yield

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) fell 1.6% on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $65.80 and last traded at $65.9520. 10,596,116 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 3% from the average session volume of 10,335,014 shares. The stock had previously closed at $67.02.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on MO. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Argus raised shares of Altria Group to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Citigroup raised their target price on Altria Group from $57.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Barclays boosted their price target on Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, UBS Group raised their price objective on Altria Group from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Altria Group currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $65.11.

Altria Group Trading Down 1.6%

The company has a market cap of $110.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 0.45. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $65.71 and a 200 day moving average price of $62.49.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 287.61% and a net margin of 29.84%.The firm had revenue of $5.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.02 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.30 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 25th will be paid a dividend of $1.06 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 25th. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.4%. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio is 103.16%.

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In other Altria Group news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the firm's 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 transaction, the senior vice president owned 180,869 shares of the company's stock, valued at $12,221,318.33. This trade represents a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.08% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Altria Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MO. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. increased its position in Altria Group by 8.6% in the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 488,706 shares of the company's stock worth $28,198,000 after buying an additional 38,878 shares during the period. Lane Brothers & Co. Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group during the fourth quarter valued at $251,000. Fund Advisors of America Inc FL bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth about $715,000. Winthrop Partners WNY LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth about $334,000. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter worth about $48,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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