Safeguard Investment Advisory Group LLC Purchases New Shares in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Safeguard Investment Advisory Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm purchased 12,202 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $878,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Cibc World Market Inc. acquired a new position in Altria Group in the second quarter valued at $17,114,000. Sanctuary Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the second quarter worth about $41,675,000. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group during the second quarter worth about $50,511,000. Capital Square LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group during the second quarter worth about $4,967,000. Finally, Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. acquired a new position in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $5,712,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MO has been the subject of several analyst reports. BTIG Research started coverage on Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Barclays lowered their target price on Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price target on Altria Group in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Altria Group has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $70.11.

Altria Group Trading Up 3.6%

Shares of Altria Group stock opened at $68.46 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $70.18 and a two-hundred day moving average of $68.89. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $54.70 and a 12-month high of $77.06. The stock has a market cap of $114.32 billion, a PE ratio of 14.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.46.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.50 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 315.29% and a net margin of 33.99%.The firm had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.35 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.44 EPS. Altria Group’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. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.