Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. Invests $3.65 Million in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. acquired a new stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 63,270 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,648,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in Altria Group by 64.7% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 17,702 shares of the company’s stock valued at $926,000 after acquiring an additional 6,954 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew 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 worth $373,000 after acquiring an additional 2,946 shares in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. grew 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 worth $565,000 after acquiring an additional 618 shares in the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $346,000. Finally, AXA S.A. purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $5,752,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Altria Group stock opened at $73.37 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $122.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.35, a PEG ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.48. Altria Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $54.70 and a fifty-two week high of $74.56. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $67.43 and a 200-day simple moving average of $63.31.

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

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s payout ratio is presently 88.70%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently commented on MO. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. UBS Group raised their price target on Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $77.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 16th. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $69.33.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total value of $1,885,743.56. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president 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 document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.