Altria Group (NYSE:MO) SVP Sells $1,885,743.56 in Stock

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) SVP Charles Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total value of $1,885,743.56. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

Altria Group Stock Performance

MO stock traded up $0.42 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $66.93. 9,484,996 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 10,264,432. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $63.25 and its 200-day moving average price is $62.58. The stock has a market cap of $111.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.29, a PEG ratio of 2.84 and a beta of 0.45. Altria Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $52.82 and a fifty-two week high of $70.51.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.32 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a net margin of 29.84% and a negative return on equity of 287.61%. Altria Group’s revenue for the quarter was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.30 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 25th will be paid a $1.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 25th. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.3%. Altria Group’s payout ratio is presently 103.16%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Barclays upped their target price on Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Argus raised Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Five research 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $65.11.

Institutional Trading of Altria Group

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Altria Group by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,704 shares of the company’s stock worth $733,000 after buying an additional 154 shares during the period. Kercheville Advisors LLC increased its stake in Altria Group by 3.7% during the third quarter. Kercheville Advisors LLC now owns 4,397 shares of the company’s stock worth $290,000 after acquiring an additional 156 shares during the last quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Altria Group by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC now owns 19,546 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,127,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 8,243 shares of the company’s stock worth $475,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the period. Finally, Acorn Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Acorn Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 10,117 shares of the company’s stock worth $583,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the period. 57.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.