Sanders Morris Harris LLC raised its stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO – Free Report) by 19.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 69,438 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 11,483 shares during the period. Sanders Morris Harris LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $4,762,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. GQG Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth $1,806,782,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,104,566,000. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in Altria Group during the second quarter worth $631,606,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $349,743,000. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 3,691.2% during the 2nd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 3,606,561 shares of the company’s stock worth $259,492,000 after buying an additional 3,511,430 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several research firms have weighed in on MO. Freedom Broker raised shares of Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. BTIG Research assumed coverage on Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. UBS Group boosted their target price on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, June 21st. 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.11.
More Altria Group News
Here are the key news stories impacting Altria Group this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Altria’s roughly 6% dividend yield, strong free cash flow, pricing power and established tobacco brands continue to attract income-oriented investors. Its dividend is viewed as relatively well supported despite long-term declines in cigarette consumption. Altria Group’s 6.2% Dividend Yield: Is the Stock Worth Buying Now?
- Positive Sentiment: Renewed interest in tobacco stocks as bond yields rise is providing a potential defensive and income-related catalyst for Altria. The company’s recent 4.7% dividend increase further reinforces its appeal to yield-focused investors. Investors Are Pushing Into Tobacco Stocks as Rate Concerns Return
- Positive Sentiment: Recent dividend-stock coverage highlights Altria’s high yield and cash-generation profile, potentially increasing visibility among investors seeking large-cap income stocks. These 4 High-Yield Dividend Stocks Have Something Yield Traps Don’t: Cash to Spare
- Neutral Sentiment: Altria is scheduled to report third-quarter results later this month. Analysts are expecting single-digit earnings growth, making the upcoming report and management commentary important near-term catalysts. What You Need To Know Ahead of Altria Group’s Earnings Release
- Neutral Sentiment: Investor search activity around Altria has increased, signaling heightened attention ahead of earnings, but the data itself does not establish a change in the company’s fundamentals. Investors Heavily Search Altria Group
- Negative Sentiment: Bearish analysts argue that the rally has moved ahead of underlying earnings growth. They cite weak Marlboro performance and reliance on tax benefits and discount brands, estimating fair value below the current trading level. Altria: The Rally Looks Ahead Of Underlying Earnings Growth
- Negative Sentiment: Long-term risks include declining smoking rates, the need to successfully expand smoke-free products and the possibility that elevated valuation limits future total returns, even if the dividend remains secure. Altria: Still In Danger Of Getting Stubbed
Insider Buying and Selling
In other news, Director Kathryn McQuade bought 1,500 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 9th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $67.62 per share, with a total value of $101,430.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 114,929 shares in the company, valued at $7,771,498.98. The trade was a 1.32% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Altria Group Trading Up 2.1%
Shares of NYSE:MO traded up $1.49 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $73.05. The company had a trading volume of 6,773,035 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,106,620. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $77.06. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $68.28 and its 200-day moving average price is $69.47. The firm has a market cap of $121.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.41, a PEG ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.42.
Altria Group (NYSE:MO – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.35 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 33.99% and a negative return on equity of 315.29%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.44 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Altria Group Increases Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 9th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were paid a $1.11 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $4.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.1%. This is a boost from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 93.67%.
Altria Group Company Profile
Altria Group, Inc is a U.S.-based holding company focused primarily on tobacco and nicotine products. Through its operating companies, Altria manufactures and markets cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, oral nicotine products and electronic cigarettes. Its portfolio includes well-known brands such as Marlboro cigarettes, Copenhagen and Skoal smokeless tobacco, Black & Mild cigars, NJOY e-cigarettes and on! nicotine pouches.
Altria’s principal businesses include Philip Morris USA, the largest U.S.
See Also
- Five stocks we like better than Altria Group
- Tesla Wants to Make Its Own Chips—What Could Go Wrong?
- IREN Limited’s AI Pivot Gains Traction—But Can Its Data Centers Deliver?
- PBF Energy’s Stunning Rally Faces a Critical Test
- Citi Stock Falls Despite Earnings Beat: What Investors Need to Know
Receive News & Ratings for Altria Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Altria Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
