Aviance Capital Partners LLC Sells 13,890 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Aviance Capital Partners LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 51.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 13,092 shares of the company’s stock after selling 13,890 shares during the period. Aviance Capital Partners LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $755,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Navalign LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. EMC Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $33,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Gould Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $39,000. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Price Performance

Altria Group stock opened at $74.01 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $67.30 and a 200-day moving average of $63.20. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $74.56. The company has a market cap of $123.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.48, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.48.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The company had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.23 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 88.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on MO. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $77.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Barclays lifted their target price on Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 target price on Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $69.33.

Insider Activity at Altria Group

In other news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total transaction of $1,885,743.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at $12,221,318.33. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.