Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund Raises Stock Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund increased its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 6.8% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 205,333 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 13,128 shares during the period. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $14,774,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of MO. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its holdings in Altria Group by 5.8% in the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 2,619 shares of the company’s stock valued at $191,000 after purchasing an additional 143 shares during the period. Angeles Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 1.3% in the second quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC now owns 11,239 shares of the company’s stock worth $821,000 after purchasing an additional 146 shares during the period. Bernardo Wealth Planning LLC increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 4.6% in the second quarter. Bernardo Wealth Planning LLC now owns 3,379 shares of the company’s stock worth $243,000 after purchasing an additional 149 shares during the period. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Altria Group by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,704 shares of the company’s stock worth $733,000 after buying an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kanawha Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Altria Group by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC now owns 19,546 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,127,000 after buying an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MO has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Barclays dropped their price target on Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Wall Street Zen lowered Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, June 21st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Five 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $70.11.

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In related news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total transaction of $145,120.00. Following the transaction, the director directly 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total value of $418,327.50. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. This represents a 7.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Altria Group Stock Performance

NYSE MO opened at $65.72 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $54.70 and a 52-week high of $77.06. The company has a market capitalization of $109.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.86, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a fifty day moving average of $70.83 and a 200-day moving average of $68.69.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.50 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.35 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 315.29% and a net margin of 33.99%.The firm’s revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.44 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.