Pacific Excel Wealth Advisors Inc. Invests $710,000 in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Pacific Excel Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 9,867 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $710,000.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was 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 $1,821,401.12. The trade was a 7.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total value of $418,327.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at $5,332,700.25. This trade represents a 7.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Stock Performance

NYSE:MO opened at $68.04 on Wednesday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $71.52 and a 200-day moving average of $68.48. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $54.70 and a 52 week high of $77.06. The company has a market capitalization of $113.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.35, a PEG ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.46.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a net margin of 33.99% and a negative return on equity of 315.29%. The business had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.35 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.44 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 89.45%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MO has been the subject of several research reports. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. UBS Group upped their price target on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. BTIG Research assumed coverage on Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Barclays lifted their price objective on Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Altria Group 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.