Lido Advisors LLC Sells 361,363 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• Lido Advisors LLC cut its Altria Group stake by 52.7% in the first quarter, selling 361,363 shares and leaving it with 324,037 shares worth about $21.7 million.
• Altria reported better-than-expected first-quarter earnings, posting $1.32 per share versus the $1.25 estimate, while revenue rose 5.3% year over year to $4.76 billion.
• The company continues to offer a high dividend yield, paying a quarterly dividend of $1.06 per share for an annualized yield of about 5.9%, even as its payout ratio remains elevated at 88.7%.

Lido Advisors LLC lessened its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 52.7% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 324,037 shares of the company's stock after selling 361,363 shares during the period. Lido Advisors LLC's holdings in Altria Group were worth $21,715,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. Navalign LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new position in Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Hughes Financial Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 62.9% in the fourth quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 510 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 197 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. The trade was a 7.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, 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 transaction, the director owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. The trade was a 7.27% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Altria Group Price Performance

NYSE MO opened at $72.08 on Friday. The business's fifty day moving average is $71.91 and its 200-day moving average is $67.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $120.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.08, a PEG ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.45. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $75.28.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The company had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.23 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Research analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were given a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 88.70%.

Altria Group News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Altria’s dividend profile continues to support the stock, with one recent analysis highlighting its attractive yield and relatively cheaper valuation versus consumer staples peers, which may keep income-focused buyers interested. Altria: Strong Dividend Yield, But Weaker Fundamentals
• Positive Sentiment: Another commentary argued Altria remains a “forever hold” for long-term investors, reinforcing the company’s appeal as a defensive, high-yield consumer staples name. Altria Group Is My 'Forever Hold'; Here's Why
• Neutral Sentiment: Market coverage compared Altria’s performance with other consumer staples names, but the updates were mostly screening-style commentary and do not appear to change the fundamental story for the stock. Is Altria Group (MO) Stock Outpacing Its Consumer Staples Peers This Year?
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are also focused on Altria’s upcoming earnings report, with recent previews saying revenue and earnings are expected to grow, but that the setup does not strongly favor a major earnings beat. Altria (MO) Earnings Expected to Grow: What to Know Ahead of Next Week's Release
• Negative Sentiment: One Seeking Alpha piece downgraded the stock, saying Altria’s strong recent outperformance has made the shares look expensive, which could pressure valuation-sensitive investors. Altria: Outperformance Makes It Pricey (Rating Downgrade)

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on MO shares. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Barclays lifted their price target on Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Citigroup upped their price target on Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. BTIG Research began coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday. They issued a "neutral" rating for the company. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $70.78.

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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