Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Trading 1.7% Higher – Time to Buy?

Shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) were up 1.7% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $70.53 and last traded at $69.63. Approximately 9,815,641 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 5% from the average daily volume of 9,340,042 shares. The stock had previously closed at $68.48.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. BTIG Research started coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, June 21st. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on shares of Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Altria Group has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $70.11.

Altria Group Trading Up 0.5%

The company has a market capitalization of $116.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.75, a PEG ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.45. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $69.99 and a 200 day moving average price of $69.05.

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

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $1.11 per share. This represents a $4.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.4%. This is a boost from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 93.67%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC lifted its stake in Altria Group by 5.8% in the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 2,619 shares of the company’s stock valued at $191,000 after buying an additional 143 shares during the period. Angeles Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Altria Group by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC now owns 11,239 shares of the company’s stock valued at $821,000 after acquiring an additional 146 shares during the period. Bernardo Wealth Planning LLC lifted its position in shares of Altria Group by 4.6% during the 2nd quarter. Bernardo Wealth Planning LLC now owns 3,379 shares of the company’s stock valued at $243,000 after acquiring an additional 149 shares during the period. Old Peak Finance LLC boosted its stake in Altria Group by 1.3% during the second quarter. Old Peak Finance LLC now owns 11,920 shares of the company’s stock worth $858,000 after acquiring an additional 151 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Joel Isaacson & Co. LLC boosted its stake in Altria Group by 0.7% during the second quarter. Joel Isaacson & Co. LLC now owns 23,324 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,678,000 after acquiring an additional 152 shares in the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.