Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. Increases Holdings in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• Cambridge Investment Research Advisors increased its Altria stake by 15.1% in the second quarter, adding 115,925 shares to reach 881,440 shares valued at approximately $63.4 million. Institutional investors collectively own 57.41% of Altria.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with five Buy, four Hold and two Sell ratings. The stock has an overall “Hold” consensus and an average price target of $70.11.
• Altria’s latest quarterly results narrowly missed earnings expectations, reporting $1.48 in EPS versus a $1.50 estimate, while revenue of $5.36 billion slightly exceeded forecasts and rose 1.2% year over year.

Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 15.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 881,440 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 115,925 shares during the quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. owned approximately 0.05% of Altria Group worth $63,420,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 5.8% in the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 2,619 shares of the company's stock valued at $191,000 after purchasing an additional 143 shares in the last quarter. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Altria Group by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,704 shares of the company's stock valued at $733,000 after buying an additional 154 shares during the period. Kanawha Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Altria Group by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC now owns 19,546 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,127,000 after buying an additional 160 shares during the period. Strategic Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 8,243 shares of the company's stock valued at $475,000 after buying an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Patten Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 4.0% during the first quarter. Patten Group Inc. now owns 4,165 shares of the company's stock valued at $275,000 after buying an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Altria Group news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the director owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. This 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 can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 of the company's stock, valued at $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. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen lowered Altria Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, June 21st. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $77.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $70.11.

Altria Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MO opened at $65.05 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $54.70 and a 1 year high of $77.06. The company's 50-day moving average is $70.96 and its 200 day moving average is $68.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $108.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.72, a P/E/G ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.46.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.50 by ($0.02). The company 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 quarterly revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. 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. Research analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current year.

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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