Altria Group, Inc. $MO Position Trimmed by James J. Burns & Company LLC

James J. Burns & Company LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 70.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,107 shares of the company’s stock after selling 7,401 shares during the period. James J. Burns & Company LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $205,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of MO. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Altria Group in the second quarter worth about $27,000. Navalign LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC grew its holdings 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 valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Citigroup raised their target price on Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $70.44.

Altria Group Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of NYSE:MO opened at $69.60 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $69.76 and its two-hundred day moving average is $65.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $116.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.56, a PEG ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.46. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $54.70 and a 52 week high of $74.56.

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

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a dividend of $1.06 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.1%. Altria Group’s payout ratio is presently 88.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group

In other news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total value of $145,120.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 25,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. This represents a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the firm’s 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 in the company, valued at $5,332,700.25. This trade represents a 7.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.10% of the stock is owned by 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.