Twin Tree Management LP Sells 165,322 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO)

Twin Tree Management LP lowered its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 82.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 34,924 shares of the company’s stock after selling 165,322 shares during the period. Twin Tree Management LP’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $1,826,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in Altria Group in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its holdings in 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 buying an additional 462 shares during the period. Marshall Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Promus Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Trading Down 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE MO opened at $58.31 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $54.03 and its 200-day moving average price is $53.38. The stock has a market capitalization of $98.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.90, a P/E/G ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.56. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $40.65 and a 12-month high of $59.67.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The company reported $1.29 earnings per share (EPS) 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%. On average, equities analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Investors 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 7.00%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 25th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 62.29%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Bank of America raised shares of Altria Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $55.00 to $65.00 in a report on Friday, December 6th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $54.00 to $53.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 31st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $53.29.

Altria Group Profile

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.