149,547 Shares in Altria Group, Inc. $MO Acquired by Great Lakes Advisors LLC

Great Lakes Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm bought 149,547 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,760,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA acquired a new stake in Altria Group during the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Navalign LLC acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC grew its position in shares of 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Miller Capital Partners Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently commented on MO shares. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price objective on Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. Citigroup lifted their target price on Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.11.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s 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 completion of the sale, the director owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. This trade represents a 7.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total transaction of $418,327.50. Following the completion of the sale, 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 position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Altria Group Trading Down 1.6%

NYSE:MO 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’s 50 day simple moving average is $70.20 and its 200-day simple moving average is $68.81. The firm has a market cap of $109.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.90, a PEG ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.46.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) 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 company had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.35 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.44 earnings per share. Altria Group’s revenue for the quarter 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. Research analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.