SVB Wealth LLC Raises Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

SVB Wealth LLC grew its stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 24.9% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 82,842 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 16,490 shares during the period. SVB Wealth LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $5,467,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of MO. Viking Fund Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 14.1% during the fourth quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC now owns 202,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,647,000 after buying an additional 25,000 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE lifted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 3.2% during the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 603,834 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,889,000 after acquiring an additional 18,626 shares during the last quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund boosted its holdings in Altria Group by 7.1% during the 4th quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 668,243 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,531,000 after acquiring an additional 44,267 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its holdings in Altria Group by 438.6% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 3,637,678 shares of the company’s stock valued at $209,749,000 after acquiring an additional 2,962,270 shares during the period. Finally, Rayburn West Financial Services LLC bought a new position in Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at $2,438,000. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Trading Up 0.7%

MO opened at $69.60 on Tuesday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $54.70 and a 12-month high of $74.56. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $69.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $65.43. The company has a market capitalization of $116.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.56, a PEG ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.46.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.23 earnings per share. The firm’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 5.68 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 88.70%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have weighed in on MO shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.44.

Insider Activity at Altria Group

In related news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the director owned 73,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,332,700.25. The trade was a 7.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total transaction of $145,120.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 25,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,821,401.12. This trade represents a 7.38% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.