London Co. of Virginia Has $221.37 Million Stock Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

London Co. of Virginia decreased its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 2.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,839,122 shares of the company’s stock after selling 112,842 shares during the period. Altria Group makes up 1.3% of London Co. of Virginia’s portfolio, making the stock its 29th largest position. London Co. of Virginia’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $221,365,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MO. Viking Fund Management LLC boosted its stake in Altria Group by 14.1% in the 4th quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC now owns 202,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,647,000 after purchasing an additional 25,000 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in Altria Group by 7.2% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 12,073,682 shares of the company’s stock worth $797,587,000 after purchasing an additional 814,665 shares during the period. Public Sector Pension Investment Board boosted its stake in Altria Group by 13.7% in the 3rd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 144,725 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,561,000 after purchasing an additional 17,429 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE boosted its stake in Altria Group by 3.2% in the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 603,834 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,889,000 after purchasing an additional 18,626 shares during the period. Finally, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund boosted its stake in Altria Group by 7.1% in the 4th quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 668,243 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,531,000 after purchasing an additional 44,267 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MO opened at $70.18 on Wednesday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $69.56 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $65.14. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $74.56. The stock has a market capitalization of $117.18 billion, a PE ratio of 14.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.46.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 EPS 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 firm had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.58 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.23 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 88.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on MO shares. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $77.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.44.

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In other news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total value of $418,327.50. Following the sale, the director directly owned 73,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. This represents a 7.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed 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 shares were 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 approximately $1,821,401.12. The trade was 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 currently owned by corporate insiders.

About Altria Group

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.