Altria Group, Inc. $MO Shares Sold by Mediolanum International Funds Ltd

Mediolanum International Funds Ltd reduced its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 9.5% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 454,974 shares of the company’s stock after selling 48,022 shares during the quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $30,492,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Viking Fund Management LLC increased its holdings 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 buying an additional 25,000 shares in the last quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund grew its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 7.1% in the 4th quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 668,243 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,531,000 after acquiring an additional 44,267 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its position in shares of Altria Group by 438.6% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 3,637,678 shares of the company’s stock worth $209,749,000 after purchasing an additional 2,962,270 shares during the period. Rayburn West Financial Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the fourth quarter valued at $2,438,000. Finally, North Dakota State Investment Board acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at $3,336,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Altria Group

In other Altria Group news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the director owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. This represents a 7.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total transaction of $418,327.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 73,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. The trade was a 7.27% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Trading Up 1.6%

NYSE:MO opened at $74.23 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $71.72 and its 200 day moving average price is $67.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $123.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.53, a PEG ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.45. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $54.70 and a 1-year high of $75.28.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced 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. 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 analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.23 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were given a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is 88.70%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MO has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Barclays boosted their price objective on Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Bank of America lifted their target price 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. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $70.78.

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.