Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Shares Down 1% – Time to Sell?

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO)’s share price was down 1% on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $67.72 and last traded at $68.18. 10,733,784 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 16% from the average daily volume of 9,286,592 shares. The stock had previously closed at $68.88.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Altria Group Stock Down 1.0%

The business has a 50-day moving average price of $69.71 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $69.10. The company has a market cap of $113.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.45.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 315.29% and a net margin of 33.99%.The firm had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.35 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.44 earnings per share. Altria Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of $1.11 per share. This represents a $4.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.5%. This is a positive change from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Altria Group’s payout ratio is presently 89.45%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Altria Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Nykredit A S acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the second quarter worth $7,935,000. Range Advisory LLC lifted its stake in Altria Group by 116.6% in the second quarter. Range Advisory LLC now owns 7,311 shares of the company’s stock valued at $526,000 after buying an additional 3,936 shares during the period. Tucker Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Altria Group by 7.1% during the second quarter. Tucker Asset Management LLC now owns 9,939 shares of the company’s stock worth $715,000 after buying an additional 658 shares during the last quarter. Amundi grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 9.9% during the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 1,252,381 shares of the company’s stock worth $90,109,000 after buying an additional 112,341 shares during the period. Finally, Advus Financial Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Altria Group by 6.1% in the 2nd quarter. Advus Financial Partners LLC now owns 12,846 shares of the company’s stock valued at $924,000 after acquiring an additional 735 shares during the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.