Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. Sells 13,841 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. reduced its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 1.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 782,384 shares of the company’s stock after selling 13,841 shares during the period. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $45,112,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 64.7% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 17,702 shares of the company’s stock worth $926,000 after acquiring an additional 6,954 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in Altria Group by 86.3% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 6,361 shares of the company’s stock valued at $373,000 after purchasing an additional 2,946 shares during the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. boosted its holdings in Altria Group by 6.9% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 9,630 shares of the company’s stock valued at $565,000 after purchasing an additional 618 shares during the period. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL acquired a new stake in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth $346,000. Finally, AXA S.A. acquired a new stake in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth $5,752,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the 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 transaction, the senior vice president owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on MO shares. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Argus upgraded shares of Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Altria Group from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $65.88.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of MO stock opened at $66.80 on Tuesday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $54.70 and a 52-week high of $70.51. The stock has a market cap of $111.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.25, a P/E/G ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.41. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $66.60 and a 200-day moving average of $62.60.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) 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 business had revenue of $5.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.02 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.30 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th will be paid 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%.

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.