Key Points
- Director sale: Altria Group director Ennis Debra Kelly sold 5,790 shares at an average price of $72.25, totaling about $418,327.50. After the transaction, she still held 73,809 shares.
- Strong quarterly results: Altria reported quarterly EPS of $1.32, topping analysts’ estimate of $1.25, while revenue rose 5.3% year over year to $4.76 billion and also beat expectations.
- Dividend remains attractive: The company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.06 per share, or $4.24 annually, implying a 5.9% yield.
Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) Director Ellen Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. This represents a 7.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.
Altria Group Price Performance
Shares of MO opened at $71.94 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $68.12 and a 200-day moving average of $63.98. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $74.56. The company has a market cap of $120.14 billion, a PE ratio of 15.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.48.
Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.23 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 earnings per share for the current year.
Altria Group Dividend Announcement
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 88.70%.
Institutional Trading of Altria Group
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Navalign LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC grew its holdings in Altria Group by 62.9% in the 4th 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. Finally, Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new position in Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company's stock.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of research analysts have recently commented on MO shares. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. UBS Group lifted 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. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Altria Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 16th. Five research 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. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $70.44.
Read Our Latest Research Report on MO
About Altria Group
(
Get Free Report)
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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