Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. Takes Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. purchased a new stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 18,048 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,299,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA bought a new stake in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Navalign LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 62.9% during the fourth quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 510 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new position in Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Altria Group

In other Altria Group news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total transaction of $418,327.50. Following the transaction, the director owned 73,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,332,700.25. The trade was a 7.27% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed 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 on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was 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 approximately $1,821,401.12. The trade was a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on MO. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, June 21st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Citigroup raised their target price on Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, BTIG Research assumed coverage on Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.11.

Altria Group Price Performance

Altria Group stock opened at $65.87 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $109.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.90, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.46. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $70.20 and a 200-day moving average of $68.86. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $77.06.

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