Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC Increases Position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO)

Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC increased its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 1.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 171,453 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 1,952 shares during the quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $6,916,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MO. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 4.3% in the 3rd quarter. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC now owns 5,825 shares of the company’s stock valued at $246,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares in the last quarter. Taylor & Morgan Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Altria Group by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Taylor & Morgan Wealth Management LLC now owns 11,981 shares of the company’s stock worth $483,000 after acquiring an additional 246 shares in the last quarter. Whitener Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in Altria Group by 2.6% during the 3rd quarter. Whitener Capital Management Inc. now owns 9,797 shares of the company’s stock worth $412,000 after acquiring an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Salvus Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Altria Group by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Salvus Wealth Management LLC now owns 14,326 shares of the company’s stock worth $578,000 after acquiring an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mcintyre Freedman & Flynn Investment Advisers Inc. raised its stake in Altria Group by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Mcintyre Freedman & Flynn Investment Advisers Inc. now owns 58,143 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,445,000 after acquiring an additional 253 shares in the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Altria Group Stock Performance

NYSE MO traded up $0.01 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $43.83. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 4,295,522 shares, compared to its average volume of 11,881,695. The firm has a market cap of $75.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.20, a P/E/G ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.65. Altria Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $39.06 and a twelve month high of $48.04. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $42.26 and its 200-day moving average price is $41.46.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 25th. The company reported $1.15 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.15. The firm had revenue of $4.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.71 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.81% and a negative return on equity of 222.80%. The firm’s revenue was down 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.18 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Thursday, February 1st that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 1.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 25th will be given a $0.98 dividend. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.94%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 22nd. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 82.01%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently commented on MO shares. Stifel Nicolaus reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $50.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Monday, March 25th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $36.10 to $36.50 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research note on Monday, April 8th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, April 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $46.90.

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.