M3 Wealth Management LLC Takes $610,000 Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

M3 Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 10,575 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $610,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Viking Fund Management LLC grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 14.1% in the fourth quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC now owns 202,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,647,000 after purchasing an additional 25,000 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 7.2% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 12,073,682 shares of the company’s stock valued at $797,587,000 after purchasing an additional 814,665 shares during the period. Public Sector Pension Investment Board grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 13.7% in the third quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 144,725 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,561,000 after purchasing an additional 17,429 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 3.2% in the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 603,834 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,889,000 after purchasing an additional 18,626 shares during the period. Finally, Peterson Wealth Services purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the third quarter valued at $3,926,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Price Performance

Shares of MO opened at $72.41 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $67.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $63.78. The stock has a market cap of $120.92 billion, a PE ratio of 15.15, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.48. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $54.70 and a 12 month high of $74.56.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 negative return on equity of 298.69% and a net margin of 34.34%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.23 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s payout ratio is currently 88.70%.

Insider Activity at Altria Group

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MO has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price objective on Altria Group in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Bank of America lifted their target price on Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Barclays lifted their target price on Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $69.33.

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.