Tectonic Advisors LLC Purchases 16,822 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• Tectonic Advisors LLC raised its stake in Altria by 8.5%, buying 16,822 shares to own 215,202 shares valued at about $12.41 million at quarter-end.
• Altria declared a quarterly dividend of $1.06 (annualized $4.24) for a yield of 6.3%; the ex-dividend date is March 25 and the payout ratio is 103.16%.
• The company reported Q4 EPS of $1.30, missing estimates by $0.02 while revenue slightly beat at $5.08B, and analysts hold a consensus “Hold” rating with an average target price of $65.88.

Tectonic Advisors LLC grew its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 8.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 215,202 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 16,822 shares during the period. Tectonic Advisors LLC's holdings in Altria Group were worth $12,409,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. CWA Asset Management Group LLC increased its position in shares of Altria Group by 8.6% in the third quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 335,418 shares of the company's stock valued at $22,158,000 after acquiring an additional 26,624 shares during the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Altria Group by 1.3% in the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 3,522,209 shares of the company's stock valued at $232,677,000 after acquiring an additional 44,303 shares during the last quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC increased its position in shares of Altria Group by 14.1% in the fourth quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC now owns 202,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,647,000 after acquiring an additional 25,000 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in shares of Altria Group by 7.2% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 12,073,682 shares of the company's stock valued at $797,587,000 after acquiring an additional 814,665 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Silver Oak Securities Incorporated increased its position in shares of Altria Group by 155.4% in the third quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 31,220 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,062,000 after acquiring an additional 18,997 shares during the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Altria Group Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of MO stock opened at $67.32 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $112.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.41. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $66.51 and a 200 day simple moving average of $62.58. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $54.70 and a 1 year high of $70.51.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $5.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.02 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 29.84% and a negative return on equity of 287.61%. The company's quarterly revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.30 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 25th will be paid a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.3%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 25th. Altria Group's payout ratio is 103.16%.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the business'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 value 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 approximately $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 SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have weighed in on MO. Argus raised Altria Group to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. UBS Group boosted their price target on Altria Group from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $65.88.

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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