Argent Trust Co Has $5.33 Million Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• Argent Trust Co increased its Altria position by 27.6% in the second quarter, ending with 74,104 shares valued at approximately $5.33 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 57.41% of Altria.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $70.11. Recent targets ranged from $58 to $79, including a Barclays downgrade to “underweight” and a UBS “buy” rating.
• Altria reported quarterly EPS of $1.48, slightly below the $1.50 estimate, while revenue of $5.36 billion narrowly exceeded expectations and rose 1.2% year over year. The stock opened at $66.91, below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages.

Argent Trust Co grew its holdings in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 27.6% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 74,104 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 16,022 shares during the quarter. Argent Trust Co's holdings in Altria Group were worth $5,332,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Altria Group by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 160,980,626 shares of the company's stock valued at $9,282,143,000 after acquiring an additional 1,903,530 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 72,830,531 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,275,886,000 after buying an additional 1,147,141 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 10.6% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 65,516,916 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,777,931,000 after buying an additional 6,265,780 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Altria Group by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 45,984,718 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,651,383,000 after buying an additional 729,999 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised its stake in Altria Group by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 22,306,173 shares of the company's stock worth $1,286,174,000 after buying an additional 335,089 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. Barclays cut their price target on Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Altria Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, June 21st. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $70.11.

Altria Group Price Performance

MO opened at $66.91 on Friday. 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 capitalization of $111.72 billion, a PE ratio of 14.12, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.46. The company's 50-day moving average is $70.32 and its 200 day moving average is $68.83.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.50 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.35 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 33.99% and a negative return on equity of 315.29%. Altria Group's revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.44 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

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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