Ritholtz Wealth Management Has $13.43 Million Stock Holdings in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Ritholtz Wealth Management lifted its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 9.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 203,509 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 16,791 shares during the quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $13,430,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Navalign LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 62.9% during the fourth quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 510 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 197 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Miller Capital Partners Inc. bought a new position in shares of Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of NYSE MO opened at $72.01 on Thursday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $54.70 and a 1-year high of $74.56. The company has a market cap of $120.25 billion, a PE ratio of 15.06, a P/E/G ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a 50-day moving average of $69.95 and a two-hundred day moving average of $65.62.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The company had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.23 earnings per share. Altria Group’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The company 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.9%. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 88.70%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently commented on MO. Bank of America boosted their target price on Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price target on Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $77.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Altria Group presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.44.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Altria Group news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total value of $145,120.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 25,102 shares in the company, 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total value of $418,327.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 73,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,332,700.25. This trade 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 company insiders.

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.