Altria Group, Inc. $MO Stake Decreased by Empire Life Investments Inc.

Posted by Geri Gentry on May 13th, 2026

Empire Life Investments Inc. cut its holdings in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO – Free Report) by 22.5% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 185,691 shares of the company’s stock after selling 54,017 shares during the period. Empire Life Investments Inc.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $10,707,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MO. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group in the second quarter worth $27,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC bought a new position in Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. EMC Capital Management acquired a new position in Altria Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in Altria Group by 79.0% during the 4th quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 630 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 278 shares during the period. Finally, Gould Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $39,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Altria Group Stock Performance

NYSE:MO opened at $69.94 on Wednesday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $54.70 and a 52 week high of $74.56. The company has a market capitalization of $116.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.63, a PEG ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a 50-day moving average of $66.80 and a 200-day moving average of $62.87.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The company had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.23 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 25th were given a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.1%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 25th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 88.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Altria Group news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total transaction of $1,885,743.56. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MO has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $77.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price objective on Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $69.22.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on MO

About Altria Group

(Free Report)

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.