Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC Purchases 25,990 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• Focus Partners Advisor Solutions increased its Altria position by 61.7% in the second quarter, adding 25,990 shares to hold 68,094 shares valued at approximately $4.9 million. Institutional investors collectively own 57.41% of Altria.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed: five analysts rate Altria a Buy, four Hold, and two Sell. The stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $70.11.
• Altria’s latest quarterly earnings slightly missed estimates, with EPS of $1.48 versus $1.50 expected, while revenue of $5.36 billion modestly exceeded forecasts and rose 1.2% year over year.

Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC grew its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 61.7% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 68,094 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 25,990 shares during the quarter. Focus Partners Advisor Solutions LLC's holdings in Altria Group were worth $4,899,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in Altria Group by 64.7% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 17,702 shares of the company's stock valued at $926,000 after buying an additional 6,954 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its holdings in Altria Group by 86.3% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 6,361 shares of the company's stock worth $373,000 after acquiring an additional 2,946 shares during the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. increased its position in Altria Group by 6.9% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 9,630 shares of the company's stock valued at $565,000 after acquiring an additional 618 shares during the period. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL acquired a new position in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $346,000. Finally, AXA S.A. bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the second quarter valued at $5,752,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently weighed in on MO. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. BTIG Research assumed coverage on Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a "neutral" rating on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut Altria Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, June 21st. Finally, Barclays lowered their price objective on Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Five 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. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $70.11.

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In other news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the director directly owned 73,809 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. This trade represents a 7.27% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total value of $145,120.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at $1,821,401.12. This represents a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Altria Group Stock Performance

NYSE:MO opened at $66.91 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $54.70 and a 52 week high of $77.06. The firm's fifty day moving average is $70.32 and its 200-day moving average is $68.83. The firm has a market cap of $111.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.12, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.46.

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

Altria Group Company 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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