Wedge Capital Management L L P NC Grows Stock Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Wedge Capital Management L L P NC boosted its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 21.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 482,761 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 84,007 shares during the quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $27,836,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of MO. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. EMC Capital Management acquired a new position in Altria Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Gould Capital LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $39,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Altria Group by 79.0% in the 4th quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 630 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 278 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 634.5% in the 3rd quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 639 shares of the company’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 552 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Trading Up 2.8%

Shares of Altria Group stock opened at $66.46 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $65.60 and a 200-day simple moving average of $62.54. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $52.82 and a 12-month high of $70.51. The stock has a market cap of $111.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.17, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.45.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 287.61% and a net margin of 29.84%.The company had revenue of $5.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.02 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.30 earnings per share. Altria Group’s revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group

In related news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total value 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 $12,221,318.33. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.08% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA pilot authorization and national rollout of on! PLUS nicotine pouches expands Altria’s smoke‑free product presence and gives the company an FDA‑cleared next‑gen oral nicotine product to sell nationwide—this supports revenue diversification beyond combustibles and is being cited as a primary catalyst. Altria Expands On! PLUS As FDA Pilot Nod Meets Valuation Debate
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call‑option buying has been reported, indicating speculative or institutional bullish positioning that can amplify near‑term share gains. Traders Purchase Large Volume of Call Options on Altria Group (NYSE:MO)
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentary note tobacco names (including MO) are showing resilience by growing smoke‑free portfolios and adapting to consumer shifts—this sector-level stability supports investor confidence. 3 Tobacco Stocks Showing Resilience Amid Market Headwinds
• Neutral Sentiment: MO continues to attract income investors: it appears in recent roundups of high‑yield S&P 500 stocks, which can support steady demand from dividend‑focused buyers even if growth is limited. 22 S&P 500 Stocks Yield More Than 5%. 6 That Are Worth Buying.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market roundups and same‑day coverage (Zacks, The Motley Fool, Yahoo) note MO’s outperformance while broader indexes slipped—these are summaries of intraday drivers rather than new company fundamentals. Why the Market Dipped But Altria (MO) Gained Today Why Altria Stock Closed Up Today
• Negative Sentiment: Some coverage highlights a valuation debate—questions whether the stock already prices in the yield and the new product’s upside—suggesting upside could be capped until the market sees sustained sales/profit gains from on! PLUS. Altria Expands On! PLUS As FDA Pilot Nod Meets Valuation Debate

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently issued reports on MO. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. UBS Group raised their price target on Altria Group from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Argus raised Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Barclays upped their price objective on Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $65.11.

Altria Group Company 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.