Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Shares Down 1% - What's Next?

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Altria Group from $54.00 to $53.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 31st. Bank of America upgraded shares of Altria Group from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their target price for the company from $55.00 to $65.00 in a research note on Friday, December 6th. Two 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $53.29.

Altria Group Stock Performance

The business's 50 day moving average price is $54.42 and its 200-day moving average price is $53.47. The company has a market cap of $97.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.77, a PEG ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.56.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The company reported $1.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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Altria Group Announces Dividend

The business 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. This represents a $4.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.10%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 25th. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 62.29%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Redwood Park Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 420.0% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 572 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 462 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.