First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. Has $27.65 Million Stake in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. boosted its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 24.0% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 419,035 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 81,092 shares during the quarter. Altria Group makes up approximately 0.5% of First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.’s portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest position. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $27,652,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Viking Fund Management LLC grew its holdings in Altria Group by 14.1% during the 4th quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC now owns 202,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,647,000 after acquiring an additional 25,000 shares during the period. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lifted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 7.1% in the 4th quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 668,243 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,531,000 after purchasing an additional 44,267 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its position in shares of Altria Group by 438.6% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 3,637,678 shares of the company’s stock valued at $209,749,000 after purchasing an additional 2,962,270 shares in the last quarter. Rayburn West Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $2,438,000. Finally, North Dakota State Investment Board bought a new stake in Altria Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $3,336,000. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Stock Down 2.2%

Shares of NYSE:MO opened at $73.05 on Wednesday. Altria Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $54.70 and a twelve month high of $75.28. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $71.90 and its 200-day moving average is $67.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $121.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.28, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.45.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. Altria Group’s revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.23 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 88.70%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MO has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price target on Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, June 21st. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. 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. Finally, BTIG Research initiated coverage on Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.78.

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In other news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total transaction of $418,327.50. Following the completion of 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total transaction of $145,120.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 25,102 shares of the company’s stock, 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 company insiders.

Altria Group Company 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.