43,413 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO Acquired by NBT Bank N.A.

NBT Bank N.A. bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 43,413 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,923,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in MO. Procyon Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Altria Group by 59.3% during the 1st quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 38,926 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,569,000 after acquiring an additional 14,490 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. AR boosted its holdings in Altria Group by 8.6% in the 1st quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 266,504 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,696,000 after purchasing an additional 21,124 shares during the period. Callan Family Office LLC bought a new position in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $2,911,000. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its holdings in Altria Group by 26.9% in the 2nd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 1,164,691 shares of the company’s stock valued at $83,800,000 after purchasing an additional 246,702 shares during the period. Finally, Waverly Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Altria Group by 21.6% in the 1st quarter. Waverly Advisors LLC now owns 95,137 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,278,000 after purchasing an additional 16,877 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently commented on MO. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Monday, October 12th. UBS Group increased their price objective on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. BTIG Research started coverage on Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Barclays dropped their price objective on Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Freedom Broker upgraded Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 16th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $70.11.

Altria Group Trading Up 3.0%

MO stock opened at $76.04 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $69.41 and its 200 day moving average is $69.90. The stock has a market cap of $126.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.42. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $54.70 and a 1-year high of $77.06.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 company had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.35 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.44 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast 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. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were issued a $1.11 dividend. This represents a $4.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. This is a positive change from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. Altria Group’s payout ratio is currently 93.67%.

Insider Activity at Altria Group

In related news, Director Kathryn McQuade acquired 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 9th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $67.62 per share, for a total transaction of $101,430.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 114,929 shares in the company, valued at $7,771,498.98. This represents a 1.32% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Dividend income remains the primary attraction. Articles highlight Altria’s long-term total returns, which were driven largely by reinvested dividends rather than share-price appreciation. The company continues to be featured among high-yield stocks appealing to retirees and income-focused investors. Altria’s Stock Has a Surprising 10-Year Return. Dividends Tell the Story
• Positive Sentiment: Expectations for the upcoming earnings report are favorable. Zacks coverage says Altria has factors that could support an earnings beat and earnings growth. The company’s current fiscal-year guidance calls for adjusted EPS of $5.61 to $5.72, which may be reinforcing confidence in its cash-generation and dividend capacity. Altria Earnings Expected to Grow
• Positive Sentiment: Sector income-stock momentum is supportive. Altria is included in several lists of stocks offering yields above 6%, keeping the company visible to investors seeking cash returns while bond yields remain elevated. Strong results from rival Philip Morris also provide a constructive read-through for tobacco-sector demand and pricing power. Philip Morris Q3 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and technical momentum are mixed. MO is above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages and near its annual high, but that strength could make the stock more sensitive to profit-taking if earnings or guidance disappoint.
• Negative Sentiment: Long-term business risks remain. Coverage notes declining cigarette volumes, past write-downs and Altria’s weaker position in smoke-free products. These challenges could limit growth and remain important risks despite the company’s attractive dividend.

Altria Group Company Profile

Altria Group, Inc is a U.S.-based consumer products company focused primarily on tobacco, nicotine and related products. Through its operating companies, Altria sells cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, oral tobacco and nicotine products, and electronic vapor products.

Altria’s principal cigarette business is Philip Morris USA, whose portfolio includes Marlboro, Parliament and Virginia Slims. Its other major brands include Copenhagen and Skoal moist smokeless tobacco, Black & Mild cigars, on! nicotine pouches and NJOY electronic cigarettes.