Korea Investment CORP Acquires New Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Korea Investment CORP acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 743,560 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $53,499,000.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on MO shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. UBS Group increased their price objective on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Barclays dropped their price objective on Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Five research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, Altria Group currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.11.

Insider Activity

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 value of $418,327.50. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 73,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,332,700.25. The trade was a 7.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total transaction of $145,120.00. Following the completion of 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. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MO opened at $65.87 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $109.99 billion, a PE ratio of 13.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.46. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $70.20 and a 200 day moving average of $68.86. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $54.70 and a 52-week 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 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%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.44 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.