Trust Co. of Vermont Takes Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• Trust Co. of Vermont acquired 43,432 Altria shares worth approximately $3.13 million in the second quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 57.41% of the company.
• Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $70.11, though targets range from $58 to $70 following mixed rating updates.
• Altria’s latest quarterly earnings slightly missed expectations at $1.48 per share, while revenue rose 1.2% year over year to $5.36 billion. Two directors also sold shares, and the stock recently traded at $65.87, down 1.6%.

Trust Co. of Vermont acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 43,432 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,125,000.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 64.7% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 17,702 shares of the company's stock worth $926,000 after purchasing an additional 6,954 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 86.3% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 6,361 shares of the company's stock valued at $373,000 after purchasing an additional 2,946 shares in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 6.9% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 9,630 shares of the company's stock valued at $565,000 after purchasing an additional 618 shares in the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the second quarter valued at $346,000. Finally, AXA S.A. purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the second quarter valued at $5,752,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Barclays decreased their target price on Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of 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 Altria Group in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a "neutral" rating on the stock. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $70.11.

Altria Group Trading Down 1.6%

Shares of MO stock opened at $65.87 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $54.70 and a 12 month high of $77.06. The stock has a market cap of $109.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.90, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $70.20 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $68.81.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.35 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.44 EPS. The company's revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total transaction of $418,327.50. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. The trade was a 7.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the director owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at $1,821,401.12. This trade represents a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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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