D.A. Davidson & CO. Reduces Stock Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• D.A. Davidson & Co. trimmed its stake in Altria by 8.4% in Q4, selling 31,153 shares and ending the quarter with 337,708 shares valued at about $19.47 million.
• Altria yields 6.4% with a quarterly dividend of $1.06 (annualized $4.24); the ex-dividend date is March 25 and the dividend payout ratio stands at 103.16%.
• Recent fundamentals are mixed: Q4 EPS missed slightly ($1.30 vs. $1.32 estimate) with revenue down 0.5% YoY, and analysts hold a consensus "Hold" rating with a $65.88 target price.

D.A. Davidson & CO. trimmed its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 8.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 337,708 shares of the company's stock after selling 31,153 shares during the quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO.'s holdings in Altria Group were worth $19,472,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MO. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 64.7% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 17,702 shares of the company's stock worth $926,000 after buying an additional 6,954 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Altria Group by 86.3% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 6,361 shares of the company's stock worth $373,000 after buying an additional 2,946 shares in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its position in shares of Altria Group by 6.9% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 9,630 shares of the company's stock worth $565,000 after buying an additional 618 shares in the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the second quarter worth $346,000. Finally, AXA S.A. purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the second quarter worth $5,752,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Altria Group Stock Performance

MO stock opened at $66.01 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $110.31 billion, a PE ratio of 16.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.41. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $70.51. The company's 50 day moving average price is $66.55 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $62.57.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $5.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.02 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 287.61% and a net margin of 29.84%.The company's revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.30 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.61 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. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 25th will be issued a dividend of $1.06 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 25th. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.4%. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 103.16%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total transaction of $1,885,743.56. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at $12,221,318.33. This trade represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on MO shares. UBS Group increased their price objective on Altria Group from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Barclays increased their price objective on Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Bank of America increased their price objective on Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $65.88.

Altria Group News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Altria Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Altria announced a multi‑pronged reinvestment program for growers, communities, employees and its brands — a reputational and supply‑chain move that supports long‑term brand equity and stability. Altria Celebrates America by Investing in Our Growers, Communities, Employees and Iconic Brands
• Positive Sentiment: Small institutional buying was reported (Brindle & Bay added a new ~12.6k‑share position), indicating modest outside interest from money managers. Brindle & Bay Financial Advisors LLC Invests $728,000 in Altria Group, Inc.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst previews (Zacks/Yahoo) expect modest Q1 results: pricing and cost control should offset declines in smokeable volumes, so results may be steady but not a major beat. That makes the upcoming quarter a near‑term event rather than a clear positive catalyst. Altria Q1 Earnings on the Horizon: Essential Insights for Investors
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst estimate rundowns and outlook pieces provide detail on key metrics but do not point to a clear beat‑or‑miss consensus ahead of the April earnings release, keeping volatility possible. Unveiling Altria (MO) Q1 Outlook: Wall Street Estimates for Key Metrics
• Negative Sentiment: Recent fundamentals remain a concern: last reported quarter showed a slight EPS miss and year‑over‑year revenue pressure, with smokeable product volumes still trending down — factors that cap upside until Q1 results provide clearer direction.

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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