Altria Group, Inc. $MO Shares Sold by Geneos Wealth Management Inc.

Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lowered its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 23.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 42,196 shares of the company’s stock after selling 12,668 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $2,787,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MO. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in Altria Group by 64.7% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 17,702 shares of the company’s stock worth $926,000 after buying an additional 6,954 shares during the period. Signature Estate & Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $347,000. Woodline Partners LP lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 40.7% in the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 143,187 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,594,000 after acquiring an additional 41,406 shares during the last quarter. SCS Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $649,000. Finally, Advisory Alpha LLC increased its holdings in Altria Group by 1.6% in the 1st quarter. Advisory Alpha LLC now owns 11,381 shares of the company’s stock valued at $683,000 after purchasing an additional 176 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have commented on MO shares. UBS Group decreased their price target on Altria Group from $68.00 to $61.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 1st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $62.33.

Altria Group Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of NYSE:MO opened at $54.72 on Thursday. Altria Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $50.08 and a fifty-two week high of $68.60. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $58.01 and its 200 day moving average price is $61.54. The stock has a market cap of $91.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.06 and a beta of 0.47.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $1.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.01. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 319.43% and a net margin of 37.89%.The company had revenue of $5.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.31 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.38 earnings per share. Altria Group’s quarterly revenue was down 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.370-5.45 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 26th will be paid a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 26th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 80.92%.

Altria Group announced that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Thursday, October 30th that permits the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to repurchase up to 1.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

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.