Rayburn West Financial Services LLC Makes New $2.44 Million Investment in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• Rayburn West Financial Services opened a new position in Altria Group, buying 42,291 shares valued at about $2.44 million in the fourth quarter. The stake represents 1.5% of the firm’s portfolio and is its 25th largest holding.
• Altria saw mixed insider and institutional activity: several institutions added to their positions, while SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares in March, reducing his ownership by 13.37%.
• The company reported better-than-expected Q1 earnings of $1.32 per share on revenue of $4.76 billion, and it continues to offer a sizable dividend yield of 5.9%. Analysts currently have a consensus rating of Hold with an average price target of $69.22.

Rayburn West Financial Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 42,291 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,438,000. Altria Group accounts for 1.5% of Rayburn West Financial Services LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest position.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Atria Investments Inc boosted its position in Altria Group by 19.1% during the fourth quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 126,190 shares of the company's stock worth $7,276,000 after purchasing an additional 20,261 shares during the period. Navalign LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Biltmore Family Office LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $240,000. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC MO bought a new position in shares of Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $285,000. Finally, Bridgewealth Advisory Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Altria Group by 7.2% in the fourth quarter. Bridgewealth Advisory Group LLC now owns 7,105 shares of the company's stock valued at $410,000 after acquiring an additional 476 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In other Altria Group news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total transaction of $1,885,743.56. Following the completion of the sale, 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 document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MO has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Altria Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Altria Group has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $69.22.

Altria Group Price Performance

Shares of Altria Group stock opened at $71.54 on Thursday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $54.70 and a 1 year high of $74.56. The firm has a market cap of $119.47 billion, a PE ratio of 14.97, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $66.85 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $62.92.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results 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. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The business 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 business posted $1.23 earnings per share. Altria Group'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. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th were given a dividend of $1.06 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 25th. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.9%. Altria Group's payout ratio is presently 88.70%.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.