Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. Decreases Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. lowered its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 3.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 507,370 shares of the company’s stock after selling 19,593 shares during the period. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $29,251,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of MO. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Navalign LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC bought a new position in Altria Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. EMC Capital Management bought a new position in Altria Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Elevation Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Altria Group by 79.0% in the 4th quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 630 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 278 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on MO. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Altria Group currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $69.33.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total transaction of $1,885,743.56. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 180,869 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,221,318.33. The trade was a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Altria Group Stock Performance

NYSE MO opened at $74.01 on Wednesday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $54.70 and a 52-week high of $74.56. The company has a market capitalization of $123.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.48, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a fifty day moving average of $67.30 and a 200-day moving average of $63.20.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The firm’s revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.23 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $1.06 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.7%. Altria Group’s payout ratio is currently 88.70%.

Altria Group 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.