Capital Wealth Planning LLC Purchases New Holdings in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• Capital Wealth Planning LLC acquired a new stake of 55,809 shares (~$3.69M) in Altria during Q3, and institutional investors now own about 57.41% of the stock.
• Altria announced a quarterly dividend of $1.06 (annualized $4.24) with an ex-dividend date of March 25, implying a 6.2% yield
• Analysts have mixed views—the consensus rating is Hold with a target of $65.11, though some firms raised targets recently (UBS to $74, Citigroup to $65) while ratings split among Buy/Hold/Sell.

Capital Wealth Planning LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 55,809 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,687,000.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Kercheville Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 3.7% in the third quarter. Kercheville Advisors LLC now owns 4,397 shares of the company's stock valued at $290,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares during the period. Founders Grove Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 2.9% during the third quarter. Founders Grove Wealth Partners LLC now owns 5,781 shares of the company's stock worth $382,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares during the period. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 0.3% during the third quarter. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR now owns 50,805 shares of the company's stock worth $3,356,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the period. Zullo Investment Group Inc. grew its position in Altria Group by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. Zullo Investment Group Inc. now owns 7,386 shares of the company's stock valued at $488,000 after buying an additional 175 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in Altria Group by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 19,819 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,309,000 after buying an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have commented on MO shares. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Argus raised shares of Altria Group to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 30th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $65.11.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Altria Group stock opened at $67.96 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $113.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.45. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $52.82 and a one year high of $70.51. The business has a fifty day moving average of $64.21 and a two-hundred day moving average of $62.64.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.32 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 287.61% and a net margin of 29.84%.The company's quarterly revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.30 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th will be given a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 25th. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 103.16%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Altria Group news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total value of $1,885,743.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. This trade represents a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.08% of the company's stock.

About Altria Group

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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