Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Shares Down 1% – Time to Sell?

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) shares were down 1% on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $57.82 and last traded at $57.78. Approximately 1,710,353 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 80% from the average daily volume of 8,622,194 shares. The stock had previously closed at $58.34.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on MO shares. Bank of America raised shares of Altria Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $55.00 to $65.00 in a report on Friday, December 6th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Altria Group from $54.00 to $53.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 31st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $53.29.

Altria Group Trading Down 1.3 %

The stock has a market cap of $97.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.80, a P/E/G ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.56. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $54.03 and its 200-day moving average price is $53.38.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The company reported $1.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.28 by $0.01. Altria Group had a net margin of 46.90% and a negative return on equity of 258.72%. As a group, 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 declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 25th will be paid a dividend of $1.02 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 25th. This represents a $4.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.08%. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 62.29%.

Institutional Trading of Altria Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Chancellor Financial Group WB LP bought a new stake in Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at $316,000. 111 Capital bought a new stake in Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at $795,000. Northstar Financial Companies Inc. bought a new stake in Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at $639,000. Centaurus Financial Inc. grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 12.0% in the 4th quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. now owns 17,577 shares of the company’s stock worth $919,000 after acquiring an additional 1,882 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Campbell Deegan Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter worth $338,000. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

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.