Altria Group, Inc. $MO Stock Holdings Boosted by Sei Investments Co.

Sei Investments Co. grew its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 15.1% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,698,456 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 222,218 shares during the quarter. Sei Investments Co.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $112,084,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Altria Group by 1.2% in the fourth 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 in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Altria Group by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 72,830,531 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,275,886,000 after purchasing an additional 1,147,141 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Altria Group by 10.6% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 65,516,916 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,777,931,000 after purchasing an additional 6,265,780 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 1.6% in the 4th 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 last quarter. Finally, Morgan Stanley grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 1.5% in the 4th 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. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price target on Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, June 21st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $70.78.

Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group

In other news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total transaction of $145,120.00. Following the transaction, the director 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total value of $418,327.50. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at $5,332,700.25. The trade was a 7.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Altria Group Price Performance

Shares of MO opened at $72.08 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $71.91 and a two-hundred day moving average of $67.71. The stock has a market cap of $120.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.08, a PEG ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.45. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $75.28.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The firm’s revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.23 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s payout ratio is 88.70%.

Key Headlines Impacting Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Altria’s dividend profile continues to support the stock, with one recent analysis highlighting its attractive yield and relatively cheaper valuation versus consumer staples peers, which may keep income-focused buyers interested. Altria: Strong Dividend Yield, But Weaker Fundamentals
• Positive Sentiment: Another commentary argued Altria remains a “forever hold” for long-term investors, reinforcing the company’s appeal as a defensive, high-yield consumer staples name. Altria Group Is My ‘Forever Hold’; Here’s Why
• Neutral Sentiment: Market coverage compared Altria’s performance with other consumer staples names, but the updates were mostly screening-style commentary and do not appear to change the fundamental story for the stock. Is Altria Group (MO) Stock Outpacing Its Consumer Staples Peers This Year?
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are also focused on Altria’s upcoming earnings report, with recent previews saying revenue and earnings are expected to grow, but that the setup does not strongly favor a major earnings beat. Altria (MO) Earnings Expected to Grow: What to Know Ahead of Next Week’s Release
• Negative Sentiment: One Seeking Alpha piece downgraded the stock, saying Altria’s strong recent outperformance has made the shares look expensive, which could pressure valuation-sensitive investors. Altria: Outperformance Makes It Pricey (Rating Downgrade)

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.