iA Global Asset Management Inc. Purchases 15,885 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• iA Global Asset Management increased its stake in Altria Group by 6.3% in the fourth quarter, buying 15,885 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 269,708 shares worth about $15.6 million.
• Altria’s latest quarterly results topped expectations, with EPS of $1.32 versus the $1.25 estimate and revenue of $4.76 billion, up 5.3% from a year ago.
• The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $1.06 per share, translating to an annualized yield of 5.8%; analysts currently have a consensus Hold rating with a $69.33 target price.

iA Global Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 6.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 269,708 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 15,885 shares during the quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc.'s holdings in Altria Group were worth $15,551,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in MO. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Navalign LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. EMC Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Elevation Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Altria Group by 79.0% in the 4th quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 630 shares of the company's stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 278 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Altria Group

In other news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the company'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 completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at $12,221,318.33. The trade was a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MO has been the subject of several analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $77.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Wall Street Zen lowered Altria Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday. Barclays boosted their target price on Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $69.33.

Altria Group Stock Up 0.9%

Shares of MO stock opened at $73.06 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $54.70 and a 12 month high of $74.56. The firm has a market cap of $122.00 billion, a PE ratio of 15.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.48. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $67.02 and a 200-day moving average of $63.05.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 298.69% and a net margin of 34.34%.The company had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.23 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $1.06 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.8%. Altria Group's payout ratio is 88.70%.

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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