Shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO – Get Free Report) traded up 2.8% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $66.74 and last traded at $66.4580. 10,171,918 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 2% from the average session volume of 10,368,804 shares. The stock had previously closed at $64.62.
Trending Headlines about Altria Group
Here are the key news stories impacting Altria Group this week:
- Positive Sentiment: FDA pilot authorization and national rollout of on! PLUS nicotine pouches expands Altria’s smoke‑free product presence and gives the company an FDA‑cleared next‑gen oral nicotine product to sell nationwide—this supports revenue diversification beyond combustibles and is being cited as a primary catalyst. Altria Expands On! PLUS As FDA Pilot Nod Meets Valuation Debate
- Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call‑option buying has been reported, indicating speculative or institutional bullish positioning that can amplify near‑term share gains. Traders Purchase Large Volume of Call Options on Altria Group (NYSE:MO)
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentary note tobacco names (including MO) are showing resilience by growing smoke‑free portfolios and adapting to consumer shifts—this sector-level stability supports investor confidence. 3 Tobacco Stocks Showing Resilience Amid Market Headwinds
- Neutral Sentiment: MO continues to attract income investors: it appears in recent roundups of high‑yield S&P 500 stocks, which can support steady demand from dividend‑focused buyers even if growth is limited. 22 S&P 500 Stocks Yield More Than 5%. 6 That Are Worth Buying.
- Neutral Sentiment: Market roundups and same‑day coverage (Zacks, The Motley Fool, Yahoo) note MO’s outperformance while broader indexes slipped—these are summaries of intraday drivers rather than new company fundamentals. Why the Market Dipped But Altria (MO) Gained Today Why Altria Stock Closed Up Today
- Negative Sentiment: Some coverage highlights a valuation debate—questions whether the stock already prices in the yield and the new product’s upside—suggesting upside could be capped until the market sees sustained sales/profit gains from on! PLUS. Altria Expands On! PLUS As FDA Pilot Nod Meets Valuation Debate
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of research analysts recently commented on MO shares. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Barclays upped their target price on Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Argus raised Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. UBS Group lifted their price target on Altria Group from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price objective on Altria Group from $57.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $65.11.
Altria Group Stock Performance
The company’s 50 day moving average price is $65.60 and its 200-day moving average price is $62.52. The company has a market cap of $111.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.17, a PEG ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 0.45.
Altria Group (NYSE:MO – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $5.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.02 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 29.84% and a negative return on equity of 287.61%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.30 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current year.
Altria Group Announces Dividend
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th will be given a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.4%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 25th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is 103.16%.
Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group
In other news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total transaction of $1,885,743.56. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,221,318.33. This trade represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.08% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Altria Group
A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Altria Group by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 160,980,626 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,282,143,000 after purchasing an additional 1,903,530 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Altria Group by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 72,830,531 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,275,886,000 after buying an additional 1,147,141 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in Altria Group by 10.6% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 65,516,916 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,777,931,000 after buying an additional 6,265,780 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 45,984,718 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,651,383,000 after buying an additional 729,999 shares during the period. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 22,306,173 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,286,174,000 after buying an additional 335,089 shares during the period. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
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.
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