Altria Group, Inc. $MO Stock Position Reduced by SteelPeak Wealth LLC

SteelPeak Wealth LLC decreased its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 17.9% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 41,919 shares of the company’s stock after selling 9,154 shares during the period. SteelPeak Wealth LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $2,807,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Viking Fund Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 14.1% during the fourth quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC now owns 202,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,647,000 after purchasing an additional 25,000 shares during the period. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 7.1% in the 4th quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 668,243 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,531,000 after buying an additional 44,267 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 438.6% in the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 3,637,678 shares of the company’s stock valued at $209,749,000 after buying an additional 2,962,270 shares during the period. Rayburn West Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $2,438,000. Finally, North Dakota State Investment Board bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $3,336,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Altria Group stock opened at $74.23 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $71.72 and a 200-day simple moving average of $67.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $123.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.53, a P/E/G ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.45. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $75.28.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.23 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a $1.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.7%. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 88.70%.

Insider Activity at Altria Group

In other news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. The trade was a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total value of $418,327.50. Following the transaction, the director owned 73,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. This represents a 7.27% 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.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MO has been the topic of several research reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Bank of America upped their target price on Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price target on Altria Group in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Citigroup raised their price target on 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 assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.78.

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.