Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Jefferies Financial Group Analyst Says

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) had its price target boosted by stock analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $50.00 to $60.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has an “underperform” rating on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s price objective points to a potential downside of 17.41% from the company’s current price.

A number of other analysts also recently commented on the company. Barclays upped their target price on Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price objective on Altria Group in a research report on Friday, May 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.44.

Altria Group Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of MO stock traded up $0.28 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $72.65. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,905,409 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,729,592. The stock has a market cap of $121.32 billion, a PE ratio of 15.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.48. Altria Group has a 12-month low of $54.70 and a 12-month high of $74.56. The company has a 50 day moving average of $67.93 and a 200 day moving average of $63.78.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The firm’s revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.23 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Altria Group will post 5.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total value of $1,885,743.56. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at $12,221,318.33. The trade was a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Altria Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Glenmede Trust Co. NA raised its position in Altria Group by 1.9% during the first quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 219,607 shares of the company’s stock worth $14,492,000 after acquiring an additional 4,066 shares during the period. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 41.2% in the first quarter. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,836 shares of the company’s stock valued at $385,000 after purchasing an additional 1,704 shares during the period. Axiom Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the first quarter valued at about $237,000. Essential Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Altria Group by 16.4% during the first quarter. Essential Partners LLC now owns 1,956 shares of the company’s stock worth $129,000 after purchasing an additional 275 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BankChampaign National Association purchased a new stake in Altria Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $554,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

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.