Securian Asset Management Inc. Sells 3,279 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO)

Securian Asset Management Inc. reduced its stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 3.5% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 91,088 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,279 shares during the quarter. Securian Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $4,763,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. True Wealth Design LLC increased its position in shares of Altria Group by 420.0% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 572 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 462 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Promus Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the third quarter worth about $34,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Altria Group Stock Down 0.5 %

MO opened at $57.83 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $97.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.83, a PEG ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.56. Altria Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $40.65 and a twelve month high of $59.67. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $53.52 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $53.23.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The company reported $1.29 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.28 by $0.01. Altria Group had a net margin of 46.90% and a negative return on equity of 258.72%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 25th will be paid a dividend of $1.02 per share. This represents a $4.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.05%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 25th. Altria Group’s payout ratio is currently 62.29%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MO has been the subject of several recent research reports. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Altria Group from $54.00 to $53.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Bank of America raised shares of Altria Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $55.00 to $65.00 in a research report on Friday, December 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $53.29.

Altria Group Profile

Altria Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells smokeable and oral tobacco products in the United States. The company offers cigarettes primarily under the Marlboro brand; large cigars and pipe tobacco under the Black & Mild brand; moist smokeless tobacco and snus products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands; oral nicotine pouches under the on! brand; and e-vapor products under the NJOY ACE brand.