Fisher Asset Management LLC Boosts Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 9.3% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 120,522 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 10,245 shares during the quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $6,949,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MO. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Navalign LLC purchased a new position in Altria Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC purchased a new position in Altria Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. EMC Capital Management purchased a new position in Altria Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Elevation Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in Altria Group by 79.0% during 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 last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Altria Group

In related news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total value of $145,120.00. Following the sale, the director owned 25,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. This trade represents a 7.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at $12,221,318.33. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 35,698 shares of company stock valued at $2,449,191. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MO has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 16th. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, 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 research note on Monday, May 4th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.44.

Altria Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MO opened at $71.94 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $120.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.05, a PEG ratio of 2.70 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. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $68.12 and its 200-day simple moving average is $63.98.

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 business 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 business’s revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. 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. Analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 earnings per share 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 paid a $1.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.9%. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 88.70%.

Altria Group Company 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.