Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. Lowers Stake in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. cut its stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 2.9% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 266,421 shares of the company’s stock after selling 7,907 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $19,169,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wedbush Securities Inc. grew its stake in Altria Group by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 36,884 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,654,000 after acquiring an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. Bluefin Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $223,000. Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 53.7% in the second quarter. Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co now owns 7,442 shares of the company’s stock valued at $535,000 after purchasing an additional 2,600 shares during the period. Hollencrest Capital Management boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 0.6% in the second quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management now owns 86,360 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,214,000 after purchasing an additional 519 shares during the period. Finally, Trustmark Bank Trust Department grew its stake in Altria Group by 2.0% in the second quarter. Trustmark Bank Trust Department now owns 9,078 shares of the company’s stock worth $653,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on MO shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, June 21st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. BTIG Research started coverage on Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. Finally, Barclays decreased their price objective on Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $70.11.

Altria Group Stock Up 1.7%

Shares of MO stock opened at $69.63 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $116.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.69, a PEG ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.45. The company’s 50 day moving average is $70.04 and its 200 day moving average is $69.03. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $54.70 and a 52-week high of $77.06.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.35 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 315.29% and a net margin of 33.99%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.44 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a $1.11 dividend. This represents a $4.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This is a positive change from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 89.45%.

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.