Altria Group, Inc. $MO Shares Acquired by Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC

Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 29.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 60,973 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 13,952 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $3,580,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. EMC Capital Management acquired a new position in Altria Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in Altria Group by 79.0% during the 4th quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 630 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 278 shares during the period. Finally, Gould Capital LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $39,000. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on MO shares. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Argus raised shares of Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s 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 NYSE:MO opened at $66.01 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $110.31 billion, a PE ratio of 16.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.41. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $54.70 and a 52 week high of $70.51. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $66.55 and a 200 day simple moving average of $62.57.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $5.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.02 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 29.84% and a negative return on equity of 287.61%. The firm’s revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.30 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared 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. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.4%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 25th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is 103.16%.

More Altria Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting Altria Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Altria announced a multi‑pronged reinvestment program for growers, communities, employees and its brands — a reputational and supply‑chain move that supports long‑term brand equity and stability. Altria Celebrates America by Investing in Our Growers, Communities, Employees and Iconic Brands
• Positive Sentiment: Small institutional buying was reported (Brindle & Bay added a new ~12.6k‑share position), indicating modest outside interest from money managers. Brindle & Bay Financial Advisors LLC Invests $728,000 in Altria Group, Inc.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst previews (Zacks/Yahoo) expect modest Q1 results: pricing and cost control should offset declines in smokeable volumes, so results may be steady but not a major beat. That makes the upcoming quarter a near‑term event rather than a clear positive catalyst. Altria Q1 Earnings on the Horizon: Essential Insights for Investors
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst estimate rundowns and outlook pieces provide detail on key metrics but do not point to a clear beat‑or‑miss consensus ahead of the April earnings release, keeping volatility possible. Unveiling Altria (MO) Q1 Outlook: Wall Street Estimates for Key Metrics
• Negative Sentiment: Recent fundamentals remain a concern: last reported quarter showed a slight EPS miss and year‑over‑year revenue pressure, with smokeable product volumes still trending down — factors that cap upside until Q1 results provide clearer direction.

Insider Activity at Altria Group

In related news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 approximately $12,221,318.33. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.