Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Shares Up 1.5% After Analyst Upgrade

Key Points

• Altria Group shares rose 1.5% after UBS Group lifted its price target from $76 to $79 and reiterated a buy rating. The stock traded as high as $74.04 during the session.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed overall: the stock has five Buy, four Hold, and two Sell ratings, with a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $70.78.
• Altria also reported strong quarterly results, beating EPS and revenue estimates, and announced a $1.06 quarterly dividend payable July 10, implying an annualized yield of about 5.8%.

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) traded up 1.5% during trading on Tuesday after UBS Group raised their price target on the stock from $76.00 to $79.00. UBS Group currently has a buy rating on the stock. Altria Group traded as high as $74.04 and last traded at $72.9440. Approximately 5,232,909 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 45% from the average daily volume of 9,477,100 shares. The stock had previously closed at $71.88.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Barclays lifted their price target on Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price objective on Altria Group in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price 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, Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $70.78.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Altria Group news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total value of $418,327.50. Following the transaction, the director directly 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was 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 $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. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Altria Group

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MO. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Navalign LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 62.9% during the 4th quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 510 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Miller Capital Partners Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.41% of the company's stock.

Altria Group Trading Up 1.5%

The stock has a market capitalization of $121.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.26, a PEG ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.45. The stock's 50 day moving average is $71.08 and its 200 day moving average is $66.33.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last released 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. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The business had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.23 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group's payout ratio is currently 88.70%.

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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