Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Stock Price Up 1.1% - Here's Why

Key Points

• Altria's stock rose 1.1% to about $67.52 on Thursday with volume down roughly 32%; analysts are mixed—consensus rating is "Hold" with a consensus price target of $65.75 (individual targets range from $50 to $74).
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.06 (annualized $4.24) implying a 6.3% yield, an ex-dividend date of March 25 and a payout ratio above 100% (103.16%).
• Altria reported quarterly EPS of $1.30, missing estimates by $0.02 while revenue of $5.08B slightly beat expectations; the company has a market cap of $112.85B and a P/E of 16.43.

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report)'s stock price rose 1.1% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $67.74 and last traded at $67.5230. Approximately 6,932,500 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 32% from the average daily volume of 10,249,330 shares. The stock had previously closed at $66.80.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MO has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 30th. UBS Group boosted their target price on Altria Group from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Barclays boosted their target price on Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Citigroup boosted their target price on Altria Group from $57.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $65.75.

Altria Group Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $112.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.43, a PEG ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $66.25 and a 200-day simple moving average of $62.56.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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). The company had revenue of $5.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.02 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 29.84% and a negative return on equity of 287.61%. Altria Group's quarterly revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.30 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th will be given a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.3%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 25th. Altria Group's payout ratio is presently 103.16%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Altria Group news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total transaction of $1,885,743.56. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. The trade was a 13.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.08% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Altria Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. grew its position in Altria Group by 8.6% during the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 488,706 shares of the company's stock worth $28,198,000 after purchasing an additional 38,878 shares in the last quarter. Lane Brothers & Co. Inc. purchased a new position in Altria Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $251,000. Fund Advisors of America Inc FL purchased a new position in Altria Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $715,000. Winthrop Partners WNY LLC purchased a new position in Altria Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $334,000. Finally, Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC purchased a new position in Altria Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $48,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Altria Group Company Profile

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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