Schaper Benz & Wise Investment Counsel Inc. WI Has $265,000 Stock Position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO)

Schaper Benz & Wise Investment Counsel Inc. WI boosted its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 6.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,077 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 315 shares during the period. Schaper Benz & Wise Investment Counsel Inc. WI’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $265,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in shares of Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. True Wealth Design LLC grew its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 420.0% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 572 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 462 shares in the last quarter. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group during the third quarter worth $34,000. Marshall Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Altria Group in the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Promus Capital LLC bought a new position in Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Altria Group from $54.00 to $53.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Bank of America upgraded Altria Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $55.00 to $65.00 in a research note on Friday, December 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $53.29.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Altria Group stock opened at $57.79 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $40.65 and a fifty-two week high of $58.59. The stock has a market cap of $97.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.56. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $53.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $53.10.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The company reported $1.29 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.28 by $0.01. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 258.72% and a net margin of 46.90%. On average, analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 25th will be given a $1.02 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 25th. This represents a $4.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.06%. Altria Group’s payout ratio is currently 62.29%.

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.