Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Shares Down 0.8% - Time to Sell?

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) fell 0.8% during trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $57.95 and last traded at $58.21. 1,404,636 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 84% from the average session volume of 8,800,348 shares. The stock had previously closed at $58.71.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on MO shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $60.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st. Citigroup raised their price target on Altria Group from $52.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $42.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 1st. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut 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 research report on Friday, January 31st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $55.00.

Altria Group Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $98.53 billion, a PE ratio of 8.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.54. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $57.19 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $54.60.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last posted its 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%. Equities research analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 25th will be given a dividend of $1.02 per share. This represents a $4.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.00%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 25th. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 62.29%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Redwood Park Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Inlight Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Altria Group in the 1st quarter worth approximately $31,000. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Marshall Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $32,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.