GW Henssler & Associates Ltd. Sells 20,579 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• GW Henssler & Associates reduced its Altria Group stake by 6.1% in the fourth quarter, selling 20,579 shares and leaving it with 318,362 shares worth about $18.4 million.
• Altria reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $1.32 and revenue of $4.76 billion, both ahead of analyst estimates; revenue also rose 5.3% year over year.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.06 per share, implying an annualized payout of $4.24 and a yield of 6.2%, while analysts currently have an average Hold rating and $70.44 price target.

GW Henssler & Associates Ltd. cut its holdings in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 6.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 318,362 shares of the company's stock after selling 20,579 shares during the period. GW Henssler & Associates Ltd.'s holdings in Altria Group were worth $18,357,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,704 shares of the company's stock worth $733,000 after buying an additional 154 shares during the last quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC now owns 19,546 shares of the company's stock worth $1,127,000 after buying an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Acorn Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Acorn Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 10,117 shares of the company's stock worth $583,000 after buying an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 17.1% in the 4th quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. now owns 1,166 shares of the company's stock worth $67,000 after buying an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Austin Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Austin Private Wealth LLC now owns 5,769 shares of the company's stock worth $333,000 after buying an additional 175 shares during the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Altria Group Price Performance

Altria Group stock opened at $68.61 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $114.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.46. 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 of $68.29 and a two-hundred day moving average of $64.14.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations 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 quarterly revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.23 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Research analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group's payout ratio is 88.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling 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 shares were 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. This represents a 7.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total transaction of $145,120.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. This represents a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 35,698 shares of company stock valued at $2,449,191 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $77.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on shares of Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $70.44.

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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