Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Sells 14,795 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. trimmed its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 45.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 17,861 shares of the company’s stock after selling 14,795 shares during the quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $1,180,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Altria Group by 1.0% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 159,717,148 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,364,216,000 after purchasing an additional 1,599,923 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 72,367,263 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,315,438,000 after buying an additional 886,583 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Altria Group by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 44,724,475 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,620,229,000 after buying an additional 764,221 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in Altria Group by 62.5% in the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 16,395,070 shares of the company’s stock worth $954,446,000 after buying an additional 6,302,819 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in Altria Group by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 12,747,828 shares of the company’s stock worth $842,122,000 after buying an additional 132,846 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target to $74 and kept a Buy rating, citing slower-than-expected US cigarette volume declines and reinforcing a favorable outlook for Altria’s cash generation. UBS Boosts Altria (MO) Price Target, Sees Slower Industry Cigarette Volume Declines
• Positive Sentiment: Altria confirmed a quarterly dividend of $1.06 (payable Apr 30; record Mar 25), sustaining a ~6% yield that supports income-focused demand for the shares. How UBS’s Reaffirmed Rating Amid Dividend Steadiness At Altria Group (MO) Has Changed Its Investment Story
• Neutral Sentiment: Several outlets and analysts continue to flag Altria as a high‑yield / momentum name, which can attract longer‑term income buyers even as near‑term volatility persists. Here’s Why Altria (MO) is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Negative Sentiment: An insider (SVP Charles Whitaker) sold ~27,908 shares (~$1.9M), which can trigger concern or short‑term selling pressure even if pre‑arranged. Altria Group (NYSE:MO) SVP Sells $1,885,743.56 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Latest quarter showed a small EPS miss and slight revenue decline year‑over‑year amid continuing cigarette volume headwinds — fundamentals that cap upside until volumes/stabilization improve. Altria (MO) Registers a Bigger Fall Than the Market: Important Facts to Note
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage is mixed — UBS upgraded/raised its target, but other firms have varied targets and several holds; consensus remains around a Hold with a mid‑$60s target, so directional conviction is split. MarketBeat MO Profile & Analyst Data

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Barclays raised their price target on Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 30th. UBS Group lifted their target price on Altria Group from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. Argus raised Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $65.11.

Altria Group Price Performance

NYSE:MO opened at $66.34 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $110.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.14, a PEG ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.45. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $63.80 and a 200-day simple moving average of $62.60. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $52.82 and a 1 year high of $70.51.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 earnings per share 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%. Altria Group’s revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.30 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th will be paid a dividend of $1.06 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 25th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.4%. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 103.16%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group

In related news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the firm’s 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 sale, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. This trade represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.08% of the company’s stock.

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.