Burford Brothers Inc. Cuts Stock Holdings in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Burford Brothers Inc. reduced its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 19.4% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 40,824 shares of the company’s stock after selling 9,823 shares during the period. Altria Group makes up about 1.1% of Burford Brothers Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest position. Burford Brothers Inc.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $2,694,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in Altria Group by 64.7% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 17,702 shares of the company’s stock worth $926,000 after buying an additional 6,954 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Altria Group by 86.3% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 6,361 shares of the company’s stock valued at $373,000 after acquiring an additional 2,946 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. boosted its position in Altria Group by 6.9% in the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 9,630 shares of the company’s stock worth $565,000 after purchasing an additional 618 shares during the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL purchased a new position in Altria Group in the second quarter worth about $346,000. Finally, AXA S.A. bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $5,752,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Altria Group Price Performance

NYSE:MO opened at $72.77 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $54.70 and a 1 year high of $74.56. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $71.08 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $66.27. The company has a market cap of $121.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.22, a PEG ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.45.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced 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 firm had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 298.69% and a net margin of 34.34%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.23 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a $1.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.8%. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 88.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on MO. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Citigroup upped their price objective on Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Bank of America lifted their target price on Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $70.44.

Insider Activity

In related news, 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 owned 73,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,332,700.25. This trade represents a 7.27% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.10% 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.