Brooks Moore & Associates Inc. Buys New Holdings in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Brooks Moore & Associates Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 13,331 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $959,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 5.8% during the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 2,619 shares of the company’s stock valued at $191,000 after acquiring an additional 143 shares in the last quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC now owns 11,239 shares of the company’s stock worth $821,000 after purchasing an additional 146 shares in the last quarter. Bernardo Wealth Planning LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter. Bernardo Wealth Planning LLC now owns 3,379 shares of the company’s stock worth $243,000 after purchasing an additional 149 shares in the last quarter. Old Peak Finance LLC grew its position in Altria Group by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. Old Peak Finance LLC now owns 11,920 shares of the company’s stock valued at $858,000 after purchasing an additional 151 shares during the period. Finally, Joel Isaacson & Co. LLC grew its position in Altria Group by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. Joel Isaacson & Co. LLC now owns 23,324 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,678,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Stock Performance

NYSE:MO opened at $67.66 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $54.70 and a 52 week high of $77.06. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $70.11 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $68.95. The firm has a market cap of $112.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.46.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.50 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a net margin of 33.99% and a negative return on equity of 315.29%. The business had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.35 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.44 earnings per share. The company’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. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $1.11 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $4.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.6%. This is an increase from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. Altria Group’s payout ratio is currently 89.45%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, June 21st. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Citigroup upped 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. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Altria Group has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $70.11.

About Altria Group

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.