CENTRAL TRUST Co Increases Holdings in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO)

CENTRAL TRUST Co grew its holdings in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 133,008 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,147 shares during the period. CENTRAL TRUST Co’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $6,789,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Riverview Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the first quarter worth about $36,000. Brookstone Capital Management lifted its position in shares of Altria Group by 9.3% in the first quarter. Brookstone Capital Management now owns 103,268 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,505,000 after buying an additional 8,777 shares in the last quarter. Future Financial Wealth Managment LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the first quarter worth about $166,000. DGS Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the first quarter worth about $265,000. Finally, Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC increased its stake in Altria Group by 72.3% during the first quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC now owns 39,723 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,733,000 after acquiring an additional 16,662 shares during the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. StockNews.com cut Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on Altria Group from $50.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Barclays boosted their price objective on Altria Group from $43.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Monday, September 9th. Bank of America reduced their price objective on Altria Group from $57.00 to $53.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price objective on Altria Group from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research note on Monday, September 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $48.20.

Altria Group Stock Performance

MO opened at $49.80 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $85.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.42, a P/E/G ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 0.65. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $51.46 and its 200-day moving average price is $47.95. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $39.06 and a one year high of $54.95.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $1.31 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.35 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $6.21 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.39 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 42.25% and a negative return on equity of 232.55%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 14.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.31 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 10th. Investors of record on Monday, September 16th were paid a $1.02 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 16th. This represents a $4.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 8.19%. This is a boost from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.98. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is 85.36%.

Altria Group Profile

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.