Brokerages Set Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) Target Price at $65.75

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) has earned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the eleven ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $65.8750.

MO has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th.

Altria Group Stock Down 0.1%

MO stock opened at $67.32 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $66.51 and its 200-day moving average is $62.58. The company has a market cap of $112.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.41. Altria Group has a twelve month low of $54.70 and a twelve month high of $70.51.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.32 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a net margin of 29.84% and a negative return on equity of 287.61%. The company had revenue of $5.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.02 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.30 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Altria Group will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 25th will be given a $1.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 25th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.3%. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 103.16%.

Insider Activity at Altria Group

In related news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total value of $1,885,743.56. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at $12,221,318.33. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Altria Group

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Altria Group by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,704 shares of the company’s stock worth $733,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. Kercheville Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Altria Group by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. Kercheville Advisors LLC now owns 4,397 shares of the company’s stock worth $290,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares in the last quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Altria Group by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC now owns 19,546 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,127,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Altria Group by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 8,243 shares of the company’s stock worth $475,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Acorn Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Altria Group by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Acorn Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 10,117 shares of the company’s stock worth $583,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

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.