Annex Advisory Services LLC Grows Stock Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• Annex Advisory Services increased its Altria stake by 82.8% in the second quarter, bringing its holdings to 99,819 shares valued at approximately $7.18 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 a consensus price target of $70.11.
• Altria reported quarterly EPS of $1.48, slightly below estimates, while revenue rose 1.2% year over year to $5.36 billion. The company pays a $1.06 quarterly dividend, equivalent to a 6.5% annualized yield.

Annex Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 82.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 99,819 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 45,211 shares during the quarter. Annex Advisory Services LLC's holdings in Altria Group were worth $7,182,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lifted its position in shares of Altria Group by 7.1% during the 4th quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 668,243 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,531,000 after acquiring an additional 44,267 shares during the period. Procyon Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 59.3% in the 1st quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 38,926 shares of the company's stock worth $2,569,000 after acquiring an additional 14,490 shares during the period. Rayburn West Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth $2,438,000. North Dakota State Investment Board purchased a new stake in Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth $3,336,000. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its position in Altria Group by 206.7% during the fourth quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 75,573 shares of the company's stock worth $4,358,000 after purchasing an additional 50,931 shares in the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on MO. Wall Street Zen downgraded Altria Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, June 21st. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $77.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $70.11.

Altria Group Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of MO opened at $65.05 on Wednesday. The company's fifty day moving average is $71.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $68.67. Altria Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $54.70 and a fifty-two week high of $77.06. The firm has a market cap of $108.61 billion, a PE ratio of 13.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.46.

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

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were given a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio is 89.45%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group

In other Altria Group news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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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