Rakuten Investment Management Inc. Invests $20.23 Million in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Rakuten Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 273,210 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $20,231,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MO. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in Altria Group by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 126,073,166 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,070,964,000 after acquiring an additional 1,325,175 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its position in Altria Group by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 72,830,531 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,275,886,000 after purchasing an additional 1,147,141 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Altria Group by 10.6% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 65,516,916 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,777,931,000 after buying an additional 6,265,780 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 45,984,718 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,651,383,000 after acquiring an additional 729,999 shares during the period. Finally, GQG Partners LLC bought a new position in Altria Group in the second quarter worth about $1,806,782,000. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Altria raised its quarterly dividend 4.7% to $1.11 per share, payable October 9 to shareholders of record September 15. The increase reinforces Altria’s reputation as a high-yield income stock, with an annualized yield of approximately 6.5%, and may be supporting investor demand. Altria Increases Quarterly Dividend to $1.11 Per Share
• Positive Sentiment: The election of Steve Presley to Altria’s board adds a director with extensive consumer-products and business leadership experience. While not an immediate earnings catalyst, the appointment could support oversight and long-term strategic execution. Altria Announces Election of Steve Presley to Altria’s Board of Directors
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary continues to focus on Altria’s valuation, dividend durability and efforts to expand beyond traditional cigarettes. The stock’s roughly 95% five-year gain highlights its strong performance, but also raises questions about how much future growth is already reflected in the price. Altria Stock Looks Reasonably Priced
• Negative Sentiment: The FDA authorized three new JUUL2 e-cigarette products, including flavored pods. The decision validates the regulated nicotine-vapor category but may intensify competition for Altria’s NJOY business and other reduced-risk products, potentially limiting market-share gains. FDA Allows Marketing of Juul’s New E-Cigarettes and Flavored Pods

Altria Group Trading Up 1.5%

Altria Group stock opened at $68.68 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $70.10 and a 200 day moving average price of $68.95. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $54.70 and a 12-month high of $77.06. The stock has a market cap of $114.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.49, a PEG ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.46.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.50 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a net margin of 33.99% and a negative return on equity of 315.29%. The business had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.35 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.44 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of $1.11 per share. This represents a $4.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This is an increase from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. Altria Group’s payout ratio is currently 89.45%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, June 21st. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Barclays cut their price objective on Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.11.

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.