Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. Boosts Holdings in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. increased its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 3.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 339,371 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 10,791 shares during the period. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $19,568,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MO. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Navalign LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. EMC Capital Management purchased a new position in Altria Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Elevation Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 79.0% in the 4th quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 630 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 278 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of MO stock opened at $74.01 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $67.30 and a 200 day simple moving average of $63.20. Altria Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $54.70 and a fifty-two week high of $74.56. The stock has a market capitalization of $123.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.48, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.48.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last released its earnings results 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 the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.23 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

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 issued a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s payout ratio is presently 88.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on MO. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price target on Altria Group in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Bank of America lifted their price objective 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. Citigroup upped their target price on Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped 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. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $69.33.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total value of $1,885,743.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 180,869 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. This trade represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.