Capital Research Global Investors Acquires 47,757 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Capital Research Global Investors lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 12,131,644 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 47,757 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors owned about 0.72% of Altria Group worth $801,412,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in MO. Kercheville Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Altria Group by 3.7% in the third quarter. Kercheville Advisors LLC now owns 4,397 shares of the company’s stock valued at $290,000 after acquiring an additional 156 shares during the period. Founders Grove Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in Altria Group by 2.9% in the third quarter. Founders Grove Wealth Partners LLC now owns 5,781 shares of the company’s stock worth $382,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares during the period. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR increased its stake in shares of Altria Group by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR now owns 50,805 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,356,000 after acquiring an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. Zullo Investment Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 2.4% during the third quarter. Zullo Investment Group Inc. now owns 7,386 shares of the company’s stock valued at $488,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. raised its stake in Altria Group by 0.9% during the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 19,819 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,309,000 after buying an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Altria Group

Here are the key news stories impacting Altria Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target on MO to $74 and reiterated a Buy, giving investors a clearer upside case that likely supports the stock’s uptick. UBS Raises Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks published a note highlighting Altria as a strong momentum stock, reinforcing the view that earnings/flows and defensive rotation are supporting shares. Zacks Momentum Note
• Positive Sentiment: MarketBeat and other outlets are featuring Altria as a high-yield, defensive income pick amid market volatility—supporting demand from income-focused investors. MarketBeat High-Yield Feature
• Positive Sentiment: Analyses (Seeking Alpha, 247WallSt) reiterate Altria’s durable cash flow and 6%-plus dividend yield, keeping it on radar as a defensive income play versus bonds. Seeking Alpha: Smoking’s Not Dead
• Neutral Sentiment: Company dividend details (quarterly $1.06; ex-dividend March 25) underpin yield attraction, but payout ratio >100% is a noted sustainability caveat. MarketBeat Dividend Analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst landscape: several firms boosted targets while others remain cautious; consensus is still around “Hold,” so upgrades are not yet consensus-driven. Analyst Coverage Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: SVP Charles Whitaker sold ~27,908 shares (~$1.9M) recently, trimming his stake ~13% — a short-term negative signal that some investors may note. Insider Sale Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Recent quarterly results modestly missed EPS expectations and showed slight revenue decline YoY, reminders of demand pressures and regulatory risk that could cap multiple expansion. Earnings & Fundamentals

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total transaction of $1,885,743.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. This trade represents a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.08% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MO has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Argus raised Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. UBS Group boosted their price target on Altria Group from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $65.11.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of MO opened at $67.08 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $63.63 and a two-hundred day moving average of $62.57. The stock has a market cap of $112.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.32, a P/E/G ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 0.45. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $52.82 and a one year high of $70.51.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.32 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a net margin of 29.84% and a negative return on equity of 287.61%. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.30 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th will be given a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 25th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 103.16%.

Altria Group Profile

Altria Group, Inc (NYSE: MO) is a U.S.-based consumer goods company whose principal business is the manufacture and sale of tobacco products. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, the company’s operations are focused primarily on the U.S. market and include the production, marketing and distribution of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and cigars. Its flagship cigarette franchise in the United States is sold through its operating subsidiaries and is among the most recognizable cigarette brands in the country.

Altria’s principal operating businesses include Philip Morris USA (cigarettes), U.S.