Diversify Advisory Services LLC Purchases New Stake in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• Diversify Advisory Services LLC acquired 92,376 Altria shares during the second quarter, valued at approximately $6.7 million. Institutional investors now own 57.41% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: five analysts rate Altria a Buy, four a Hold and two a Sell, producing an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $70.11.
• Altria reported quarterly revenue of $5.36 billion, slightly above estimates, while earnings per share of $1.48 missed expectations by $0.02. Two directors also sold shares in May, reducing their individual holdings by roughly 7%.

Diversify Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 92,376 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,733,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Navalign LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC lifted its position in shares of Altria Group by 62.9% during the fourth quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 510 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. Miller Capital Partners Inc. bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group in the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on MO shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. BTIG Research assumed coverage on Altria Group in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a "neutral" rating on the stock. Citigroup lifted their target price on Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Altria Group in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $70.11.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MO opened at $65.87 on Friday. The company's fifty day moving average is $70.20 and its two-hundred day moving average is $68.81. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $54.70 and a 1-year high of $77.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $109.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.46.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.50 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a net margin of 33.99% and a negative return on equity of 315.29%. The business had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.35 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.44 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In other news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total transaction of $418,327.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 73,809 shares of the company's stock, 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 the SEC website. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the director owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at $1,821,401.12. The trade was a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.10% 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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