43,000 Shares in Altria Group, Inc. $MO Acquired by Ally Financial Inc.

Ally Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 43,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,479,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Navalign LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. EMC Capital Management acquired a new position in Altria Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Hughes Financial Services LLC increased its holdings in Altria Group by 62.9% in 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 period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group

In other news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total transaction of $418,327.50. Following the transaction, the director owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at $5,332,700.25. The trade was a 7.27% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total value of $145,120.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. This represents a 7.38% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Altria Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MO opened at $71.83 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $54.70 and a 1 year high of $74.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $119.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.46. The business's 50 day moving average price is $69.40 and its 200-day moving average price is $64.92.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 298.69% and a net margin of 34.34%.The firm had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.23 EPS. The business's 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 expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group's payout ratio is currently 88.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on MO shares. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective 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, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Altria Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Altria Group currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $70.44.

Altria Group 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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