MML Investors Services LLC Has $18.52 Million Stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO)

MML Investors Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 4.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 362,895 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 15,991 shares during the quarter. MML Investors Services LLC's holdings in Altria Group were worth $18,522,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the third quarter valued at $34,000. Northeast Financial Consultants Inc boosted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. Northeast Financial Consultants Inc now owns 36,287 shares of the company's stock worth $1,852,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares during the last quarter. Zacks Investment Management grew its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 2.0% during the third quarter. Zacks Investment Management now owns 900,261 shares of the company's stock worth $45,949,000 after buying an additional 17,954 shares in the last quarter. DF Dent & Co. Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $233,000. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI lifted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 59.4% during the third quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 936,863 shares of the company's stock valued at $47,817,000 after buying an additional 349,165 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company's stock.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of MO stock traded down $0.36 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $55.50. 8,318,166 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 9,605,217. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $39.25 and a 12 month high of $58.03. The company has a market cap of $94.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.38, a PEG ratio of 3.26 and a beta of 0.63. The company's 50 day moving average price is $53.23 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $50.61.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The company reported $1.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.35 by $0.03. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 233.80% and a net margin of 42.82%. The firm had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.33 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.28 earnings per share. Altria Group's revenue was up 18.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on MO. Bank of America raised shares of Altria Group from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price target for the stock from $55.00 to $65.00 in a research note on Friday. Barclays lifted their target price on Altria Group from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. Citigroup upped their price target on Altria Group from $44.50 to $48.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on Altria Group from $52.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $39.00 to $41.00 and gave the company a "sell" rating in a research report on Monday, September 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $53.33.

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.