Csenge Advisory Group Raises Stake in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• Csenge Advisory Group increased its Altria stake by 25.8% in the fourth quarter, buying 16,107 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 78,434 shares worth about $4.52 million.
• Altria reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with earnings of $1.32 per share versus estimates of $1.25 and revenue of $4.76 billion, up 5.3% year over year.
• The company continues to offer a high dividend yield, announcing a quarterly payout of $1.06 per share, or $4.24 annually, which works out to a 5.8% yield.

Csenge Advisory Group boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 25.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 78,434 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 16,107 shares during the period. Csenge Advisory Group's holdings in Altria Group were worth $4,523,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Viking Fund Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 14.1% in the fourth quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC now owns 202,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,647,000 after acquiring an additional 25,000 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 7.2% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 12,073,682 shares of the company's stock valued at $797,587,000 after acquiring an additional 814,665 shares in the last quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 13.7% in the third quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 144,725 shares of the company's stock valued at $9,561,000 after acquiring an additional 17,429 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 3.2% in the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 603,834 shares of the company's stock valued at $39,889,000 after acquiring an additional 18,626 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Peterson Wealth Services acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the third quarter valued at about $3,926,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In related news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. The trade was a 13.37% 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 the SEC website. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently commented on MO shares. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Friday. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $69.33.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Altria Group stock opened at $73.67 on Tuesday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $54.70 and a 1 year high of $74.56. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $67.15 and a 200 day moving average price of $63.11. The company has a market cap of $123.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.41, a PEG ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.48.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The firm had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.23 earnings per share. Altria Group's revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group's payout ratio is presently 88.70%.

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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