Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Shares Down 0.5% - Should You Sell?

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report)'s stock price traded down 0.5% on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $55.87 and last traded at $56.03. 1,322,017 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 83% from the average session volume of 7,731,927 shares. The stock had previously closed at $56.30.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have issued reports on MO shares. 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. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Altria Group from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their target price 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. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $53.29.

Altria Group Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $94.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.51, a P/E/G ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.64. The business's 50-day moving average is $52.95 and its two-hundred day moving average is $53.01.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The company reported $1.29 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.28 by $0.01. Altria Group had a net margin of 46.90% and a negative return on equity of 258.72%. Equities research analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 25th will be issued 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 dividend yield of 7.31%. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 62.29%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Redwood Park Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. True Wealth Design LLC increased its stake in Altria Group by 420.0% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 572 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 462 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in Altria Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.