Weiss Asset Management LP Acquires New Shares in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Weiss Asset Management LP acquired a new position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 65,373 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,314,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of MO. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund raised its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 44,267 shares during the period. Rayburn West Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group during the 4th quarter worth $2,438,000. North Dakota State Investment Board bought a new stake in Altria Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $3,336,000. Procyon Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Altria Group by 59.3% during the first quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 38,926 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,569,000 after acquiring an additional 14,490 shares during the period. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 206.7% in the fourth quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 75,573 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,358,000 after purchasing an additional 50,931 shares during the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Altria is approaching earnings with expectations for higher revenue and year-over-year EPS growth, which supports the case for continued fundamental strength. Altria Group (MO) Nears Earnings, Is The Recent Rally Already Priced In?
• Positive Sentiment: The stock has outperformed over the past year, helped by a strong year-to-date gain and solid total shareholder return, reinforcing momentum around the name. Altria Group (MO) Nears Earnings, Is The Recent Rally Already Priced In?
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple pre-earnings previews say investors should not assume a blowout report, noting Altria does not appear to have the strongest setup for an earnings beat. Altria (MO) Earnings Expected to Grow: What to Know Ahead of Next Week’s Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Shares are being compared with consumer staples peers, with coverage suggesting the stock’s relative performance is a key focus rather than a major new catalyst. Is Altria Group (MO) Stock Outpacing Its Consumer Staples Peers This Year?
• Negative Sentiment: One analyst report downgraded Altria, arguing that the stock’s strong outperformance has made it look expensive, which could pressure valuation sentiment. Altria: Outperformance Makes It Pricey (Rating Downgrade)

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen downgraded Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, June 21st. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.78.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total value of $145,120.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 25,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,821,401.12. This trade represents a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total transaction of $418,327.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 73,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,332,700.25. This trade represents a 7.27% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MO opened at $72.96 on Monday. Altria Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $54.70 and a twelve month high of $75.28. The firm has a market cap of $121.84 billion, a PE ratio of 15.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.45. The business has a fifty day moving average of $71.91 and a 200-day moving average of $67.83.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (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 business had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.23 EPS. The firm’s quarterly 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. On average, analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a $1.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.8%. Altria Group’s payout ratio is currently 88.70%.

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.