Allen Mooney & Barnes Investment Advisors LLC Sells 25,786 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• Allen Mooney & Barnes Investment Advisors reduced its Altria position by 12.6%, selling 25,786 shares and retaining 179,267 shares worth approximately $12.9 million. Institutional investors collectively own 57.41% of Altria.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed, with five Buy, four Hold, and two Sell ratings; the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $70.11.
• Altria raised its quarterly dividend to $1.11 per share, or $4.44 annually, producing a 6.4% yield. Its latest quarterly revenue rose 1.2% year over year to $5.36 billion, while EPS of $1.48 slightly missed estimates.

Allen Mooney & Barnes Investment Advisors LLC decreased its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 12.6% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 179,267 shares of the company's stock after selling 25,786 shares during the quarter. Altria Group accounts for 2.0% of Allen Mooney & Barnes Investment Advisors LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest holding. Allen Mooney & Barnes Investment Advisors LLC's holdings in Altria Group were worth $12,898,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of MO. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in Altria Group by 64.7% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 17,702 shares of the company's stock valued at $926,000 after buying an additional 6,954 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its position in Altria Group by 86.3% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 6,361 shares of the company's stock valued at $373,000 after acquiring an additional 2,946 shares during the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 6.9% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 9,630 shares of the company's stock valued at $565,000 after acquiring an additional 618 shares during the period. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the second quarter valued at $346,000. Finally, AXA S.A. purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the second quarter valued at $5,752,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. BTIG Research began coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a "neutral" rating for the company. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Altria Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, June 21st. Barclays dropped their target price on Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Altria Group has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $70.11.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of MO opened at $69.57 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $69.92 and a 200-day moving average price of $69.07. Altria Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $54.70 and a fifty-two week high of $77.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $116.16 billion, a PE ratio of 14.68, a PEG ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.45.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.50 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a net margin of 33.99% and a negative return on equity of 315.29%. The business had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.35 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.44 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a $1.11 dividend. This represents a $4.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This is an increase from Altria Group's previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. Altria Group's payout ratio is presently 89.45%.

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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