Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership Lowers Holdings in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership trimmed its stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 23.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 9,202,240 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,762,939 shares during the quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership owned 0.55% of Altria Group worth $607,256,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 64.7% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 17,702 shares of the company’s stock valued at $926,000 after acquiring an additional 6,954 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 86.3% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 6,361 shares of the company’s stock valued at $373,000 after purchasing an additional 2,946 shares during the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. grew its position in Altria Group by 6.9% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 9,630 shares of the company’s stock worth $565,000 after purchasing an additional 618 shares during the period. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth $346,000. Finally, AXA S.A. purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth $5,752,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Altria Group Trading Down 0.1%

NYSE:MO opened at $72.08 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $54.70 and a 12-month high of $75.28. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $71.91 and a 200 day moving average price of $67.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $120.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.08, a P/E/G ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.45.

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

Altria Group Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 in the company, valued at $5,332,700.25. This trade represents a 7.27% 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 Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total value of $145,120.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at $1,821,401.12. This trade represents 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 owned by corporate insiders.

Trending Headlines about 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)

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Citigroup increased their price objective 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. BTIG Research initiated coverage on Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Five 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $70.78.

Altria Group 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.