D.A. Davidson & CO. Raises Holdings in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• D.A. Davidson & Co. increased its stake in Altria Group by 8.0% in the first quarter, buying 27,055 more shares and bringing its total holding to 364,763 shares worth about $24.1 million.
• Altria posted strong quarterly results, with EPS of $1.32 beating estimates and revenue of $4.76 billion topping forecasts, while also raising its FY 2026 guidance to 5.56-5.72 EPS.
• The company continues to appeal to income investors with a 6.0% dividend yield and a quarterly payout of $1.06 per share, though its payout ratio is high at 88.7%.

D.A. Davidson & CO. increased its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 8.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 364,763 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 27,055 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO.'s holdings in Altria Group were worth $24,071,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Altria Group by 1.2% during the 4th 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 in the last quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Altria Group by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC now owns 19,546 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,127,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Altria Group by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 8,243 shares of the company's stock valued at $475,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Patten Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 4.0% in the first quarter. Patten Group Inc. now owns 4,165 shares of the company's stock valued at $275,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Acorn Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Acorn Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 10,117 shares of the company's stock valued at $583,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares in the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Altria Group Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of NYSE:MO opened at $70.44 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $117.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.74, a PEG ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.45. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $54.70 and a 12 month high of $74.56. The firm's 50-day moving average is $71.52 and its 200 day moving average is $67.05.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.23 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.0%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 88.70%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MO has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Citigroup boosted their target price 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. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Five equities research 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, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $70.78.

Insider Activity at Altria Group

In other Altria Group news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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 of the company's stock, valued at $1,821,401.12. This represents a 7.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, 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 sale, the director owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. The trade was a 7.27% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

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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