Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) Receives Consensus Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) have been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the eleven ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have assigned a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $70.1111.

Several research firms have recently weighed in on MO. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. BTIG Research assumed coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Thursday, April 30th.

Altria Group Trading Down 2.5%

Shares of MO opened at $64.03 on Thursday. Altria Group has a twelve month low of $54.70 and a twelve month high of $77.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $106.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 0.46. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $70.68 and its 200 day simple moving average is $68.74.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.35 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 33.99% and a negative return on equity of 315.29%. Altria Group’s revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.44 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Altria Group will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, 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 transaction of $418,327.50. Following the transaction, the director owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. The trade was a 7.27% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total transaction of $145,120.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at $1,821,401.12. The trade was a 7.38% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Altria Group

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of MO. Bank OZK acquired a new stake in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $472,000. Hayek Kallen Investment Management acquired a new position in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth $3,129,000. Old North State Trust LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth $285,000. Caitlin John LLC purchased a new position in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $83,000. Finally, Equitable Holdings Inc. purchased a new position in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $10,804,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

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.