Altria Group, Inc. $MO Shares Bought by Czech National Bank

Key Points

• Czech National Bank increased its Altria stake by 4% in the second quarter, adding 18,136 shares to reach 475,315 shares valued at approximately $34.2 million. Institutional investors collectively own 57.41% of Altria.
• Analysts have a mixed outlook on Altria, with an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $70.78. Recent targets range from $64 to $77, including buy ratings from Stifel Nicolaus and Goldman Sachs.
• Altria reported quarterly revenue of $5.36 billion, slightly exceeding estimates, while EPS of $1.48 missed expectations by $0.02. The company maintains a quarterly dividend of $1.06 per share, representing a 6.3% yield.

Czech National Bank raised its holdings in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 4.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 475,315 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 18,136 shares during the period. Czech National Bank's holdings in Altria Group were worth $34,199,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MO. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 3,691.2% in the second quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 3,606,561 shares of the company's stock valued at $259,492,000 after acquiring an additional 3,511,430 shares in the last quarter. 55 North Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth $208,000. Evanson Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth about $376,000. Thrive Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Altria Group by 7.2% during the 2nd quarter. Thrive Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,475 shares of the company's stock worth $322,000 after purchasing an additional 299 shares during the period. Finally, Foster Group Inc. raised its position in Altria Group by 1.6% in the 2nd quarter. Foster Group Inc. now owns 12,248 shares of the company's stock valued at $881,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on MO shares. Barclays lifted their price objective on Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $70.78.

Altria Group Stock Performance

MO opened at $67.64 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $77.06. The company has a market cap of $112.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.27, a PEG ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.46. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $71.36 and its 200-day simple moving average is $68.57.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.50 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.35 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 315.29% and a net margin of 33.99%.Altria Group's revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.44 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were given a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. Altria Group's payout ratio is currently 89.45%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group

In related news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the 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 $5,332,700.25. This trade represents a 7.27% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 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 transaction of $145,120.00. Following the sale, the director owned 25,102 shares in the company, 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. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

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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