Lazard Asset Management LLC Grows Stock Holdings in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 32.2% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 1,088,444 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 265,221 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $71,826,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in shares of Altria Group by 64.7% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 17,702 shares of the company’s stock worth $926,000 after buying an additional 6,954 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 86.3% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 6,361 shares of the company’s stock valued at $373,000 after buying an additional 2,946 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 6.9% during the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 9,630 shares of the company’s stock valued at $565,000 after buying an additional 618 shares during the period. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL acquired a new position in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $346,000. Finally, AXA S.A. acquired a new position in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $5,752,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MO has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Citigroup upped 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. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. BTIG Research initiated coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target 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. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $70.78.

Altria Group Stock Performance

NYSE:MO opened at $72.99 on Tuesday. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $75.28. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $71.90 and its 200 day simple moving average is $67.95. The stock has a market cap of $121.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.45.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.23 EPS. Altria Group’s quarterly revenue 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, equities research analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.7 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is 88.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total transaction of $145,120.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 25,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. This trade represents a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction on 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 owned 73,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. This trade represents a 7.27% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.