Reliant Investment Partners LLC Acquires New Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Reliant Investment Partners LLC bought a new position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 8,888 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $639,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Advisors Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $39,705,000. Cannon Wealth Management Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $202,000. MJP Associates Inc. ADV purchased a new position in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $297,000. PCM Encore LLC purchased a new position in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $710,000. Finally, Vise Technologies Inc. bought a new position in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $10,588,000. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Stock Performance

NYSE:MO opened at $65.87 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $70.20 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $68.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $109.99 billion, a PE ratio of 13.90, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.46. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $54.70 and a 52-week high of $77.06.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 EPS 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.35 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.44 EPS. The firm’s quarterly 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. Equities analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have commented on the company. BTIG Research assumed coverage on Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price target on Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. UBS Group increased their price objective on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.11.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total value of $418,327.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 73,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,332,700.25. This represents a 7.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, 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 transaction of $145,120.00. Following the sale, the director owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at $1,821,401.12. The trade was a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.