First Nebraska Trust Co bought a new position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO – Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 19,921 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,315,000.
Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Altria Group by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 160,980,626 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,282,143,000 after acquiring an additional 1,903,530 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 72,830,531 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,275,886,000 after acquiring an additional 1,147,141 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of 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 worth $3,777,931,000 after purchasing an additional 6,265,780 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 45,984,718 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,651,383,000 after purchasing an additional 729,999 shares during the period. Finally, Morgan Stanley grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 22,306,173 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,286,174,000 after purchasing an additional 335,089 shares during the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of research analysts recently issued reports on MO shares. Citigroup boosted their price target on Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Bank of America boosted their target price on Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.78.
Altria Group Price Performance
Shares of MO opened at $68.46 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $77.06. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $71.72 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $68.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $114.32 billion, a PE ratio of 14.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.45.
Altria Group (NYSE:MO – Get Free Report) last posted 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 negative return on equity of 315.29% and a net margin of 33.99%.The firm had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.35 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.44 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. Analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Altria Group Dividend Announcement
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 89.45%.
Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group
In other news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total transaction of $418,327.50. Following the sale, the director owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. The trade was a 7.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total transaction of $145,120.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at $1,821,401.12. This represents a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Key Stories Impacting Altria Group
Here are the key news stories impacting Altria Group this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Altria’s second-quarter adjusted EPS rose from $1.44 to $1.48 year over year, while revenue reached approximately $5.36 billion, slightly above analysts’ expectations. Higher cigarette pricing, particularly for Marlboro, helped offset declining shipment volumes. Altria Group Q2 Adjusted Earnings, Revenue Rise; Fiscal 2026 Adjusted EPS Outlook Narrowed
- Positive Sentiment: The company highlighted expansion of its on! PLUS nicotine pouch brand to roughly 120,000 stores and continued investment in smoke-free products, supporting expectations for long-term category growth. Shareholder returns and resilient cash flow also remain attractive to income-focused investors. Altria Q2 Earnings Call Highlights Smoke-Free Growth Plans
- Neutral Sentiment: Altria narrowed its fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to $5.61-$5.72, broadly surrounding the analyst consensus of $5.68. The revised range offers some earnings visibility but suggests limited near-term upside without stronger volume or smoke-free growth. Altria Group Q2 Adjusted Earnings, Revenue Rise; Fiscal 2026 Adjusted EPS Outlook Narrowed
- Negative Sentiment: Second-quarter EPS of $1.48 missed the $1.50 consensus estimate. Cigarette volumes weakened as inflation encouraged some consumers to trade down from premium Marlboro products, while softer oral-tobacco sales and intensified nicotine-pouch competition pressured results. Altria Q2 Earnings Miss Estimates, Cigarette Volumes Down
- Negative Sentiment: Levi & Korsinsky announced an investigation into whether Altria accurately described the FDA regulatory status of on! PLUS and the prospects for near-term authorization of additional applications. The inquiry adds potential legal and regulatory overhang to the stock. Altria Group Investigation Notice
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.
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