Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) Stock Position Trimmed by Beacon Financial Group

Beacon Financial Group decreased its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 1.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 93,027 shares of the company’s stock after selling 902 shares during the period. Beacon Financial Group’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $4,864,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in MO. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in Altria Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its position in Altria Group by 420.0% during the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 572 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 462 shares during the period. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group in the third quarter worth $34,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group during the third quarter valued at $41,000. Finally, Fairman Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 85.1% during the third quarter. Fairman Group LLC now owns 892 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 410 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on shares of Altria Group from $54.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Bank of America upgraded shares of Altria Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $55.00 to $65.00 in a report on Friday, December 6th. StockNews.com raised Altria Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 4th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Altria Group from $54.00 to $53.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on Altria Group from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $53.29.

Altria Group Stock Up 0.1 %

Shares of Altria Group stock opened at $53.90 on Wednesday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $39.25 and a 12-month high of $58.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $91.34 billion, a PE ratio of 8.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.64. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $53.02 and its 200-day moving average is $52.52.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The company reported $1.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.28 by $0.01. Altria Group had a net margin of 46.90% and a negative return on equity of 258.72%. Analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, December 26th were paid a dividend of $1.02 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 26th. This represents a $4.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.57%. Altria Group’s payout ratio is 62.29%.

About Altria Group

Altria Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells smokeable and oral tobacco products in the United States. The company offers cigarettes primarily under the Marlboro brand; large cigars and pipe tobacco under the Black & Mild brand; moist smokeless tobacco and snus products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands; oral nicotine pouches under the on! brand; and e-vapor products under the NJOY ACE brand.