NEOS Investment Management LLC Boosts Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• NEOS Investment Management increased its Altria position by 9.5% in the second quarter, purchasing 23,932 additional shares for a total holding of 275,042 shares valued at approximately $19.8 million. Institutional investors collectively own 57.41% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with Altria carrying a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $70.11. Targets range from $58 at Barclays to $79 at UBS.
• Altria reported quarterly revenue of $5.36 billion and EPS of $1.48, slightly below analysts’ expectations, while revenue rose 1.2% year over year. The company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.11, equivalent to a 6.5% annual yield.

NEOS Investment Management LLC grew its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 9.5% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 275,042 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 23,932 shares during the quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC's holdings in Altria Group were worth $19,789,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in MO. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Navalign LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Miller Capital Partners Inc. purchased a new position in Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Hughes Financial Services LLC raised its holdings 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 worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. UBS Group increased their price objective on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Altria Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, June 21st. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, BTIG Research assumed coverage on Altria Group in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a "neutral" rating for the company. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Altria Group presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $70.11.

Altria Group Price Performance

NYSE MO opened at $68.80 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $114.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.51, a P/E/G ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 0.45. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $54.70 and a 12 month high of $77.06. The company has a 50-day moving average of $69.82 and a 200-day moving average of $69.07.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.50 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 315.29% and a net margin of 33.99%.The company had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.35 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.44 earnings per share. Altria Group's 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. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a $1.11 dividend. This is a boost from Altria Group's previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $4.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.5%. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 89.45%.

Altria Group 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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