Brokerages Set Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) Price Target at $70.78

Shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) have received an average recommendation of “Hold” from the twelve analysts that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $70.7778.

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on MO shares. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target 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. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. BTIG Research initiated coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, June 21st. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th.

Altria Group News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Altria Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Altria is approaching earnings with expectations for higher revenue and year-over-year EPS growth, which supports the case for continued fundamental strength. Altria Group (MO) Nears Earnings, Is The Recent Rally Already Priced In?
• Positive Sentiment: The stock has outperformed over the past year, helped by a strong year-to-date gain and solid total shareholder return, reinforcing momentum around the name. Altria Group (MO) Nears Earnings, Is The Recent Rally Already Priced In?
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple pre-earnings previews say investors should not assume a blowout report, noting Altria does not appear to have the strongest setup for an earnings beat. Altria (MO) Earnings Expected to Grow: What to Know Ahead of Next Week’s Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Shares are being compared with consumer staples peers, with coverage suggesting the stock’s relative performance is a key focus rather than a major new catalyst. Is Altria Group (MO) Stock Outpacing Its Consumer Staples Peers This Year?
• Negative Sentiment: One analyst report downgraded Altria, arguing that the stock’s strong outperformance has made it look expensive, which could pressure valuation sentiment. Altria: Outperformance Makes It Pricey (Rating Downgrade)

Altria Group Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of MO stock opened at $72.96 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $121.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.26, a P/E/G ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.45. Altria Group has a 1-year low of $54.70 and a 1-year high of $75.28. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $71.91 and its 200-day simple moving average is $67.75.

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

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were given a dividend of $1.06 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.8%. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 88.70%.

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In other news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total transaction of $418,327.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at $5,332,700.25. The trade was a 7.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total value 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. This represents a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Altria Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. Navalign LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Hughes Financial Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 62.9% in the 4th quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 510 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

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.