Pittenger & Anderson Inc. Buys 68,349 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Pittenger & Anderson Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 773.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 77,185 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 68,349 shares during the period. Pittenger & Anderson Inc.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $5,553,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its position in Altria Group by 5.8% during the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 2,619 shares of the company’s stock valued at $191,000 after acquiring an additional 143 shares during the last quarter. Bernardo Wealth Planning LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter. Bernardo Wealth Planning LLC now owns 3,379 shares of the company’s stock worth $243,000 after acquiring an additional 149 shares during the last quarter. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,704 shares of the company’s stock worth $733,000 after acquiring an additional 154 shares during the last quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC now owns 19,546 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,127,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the period. Finally, Strategic Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 8,243 shares of the company’s stock worth $475,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the period. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the business’s 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 sale, the director owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. The trade was a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total value of $418,327.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. This trade represents a 7.27% 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 Trading Up 1.0%

NYSE MO opened at $65.05 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $70.96 and its 200-day moving average price is $68.72. The stock has a market cap of $108.62 billion, a PE ratio of 13.72, a PEG ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.46. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $54.70 and a 12 month high of $77.06.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.35 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 33.99% and a negative return on equity of 315.29%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.44 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MO has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Wall Street Zen lowered Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, June 21st. BTIG Research began coverage on Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. Citigroup increased their price target on Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $70.11.

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.