Capital Investment Advisors LLC Purchases 14,720 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Capital Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 2.3% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 661,157 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 14,720 shares during the quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $38,122,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Kercheville Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 3.7% in the third quarter. Kercheville Advisors LLC now owns 4,397 shares of the company’s stock valued at $290,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares during the last quarter. Founders Grove Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Altria Group by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. Founders Grove Wealth Partners LLC now owns 5,781 shares of the company’s stock worth $382,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR boosted its stake in Altria Group by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR now owns 50,805 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,356,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the period. Zullo Investment Group Inc. grew its holdings in Altria Group by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. Zullo Investment Group Inc. now owns 7,386 shares of the company’s stock valued at $488,000 after buying an additional 175 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Optimist Retirement Group LLC grew its holdings in Altria Group by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Optimist Retirement Group LLC now owns 35,577 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,350,000 after buying an additional 178 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group

In related news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total transaction of $1,885,743.56. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at $12,221,318.33. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.08% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. Argus raised shares of Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Altria Group from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Altria Group from $57.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Barclays raised their price objective on Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 30th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $65.11.

Altria Group Trading Up 2.8%

MO stock opened at $66.46 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $52.82 and a 1-year high of $70.51. The business’s 50 day moving average is $65.60 and its 200-day moving average is $62.54. The firm has a market cap of $111.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.17, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.45.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a net margin of 29.84% and a negative return on equity of 287.61%. The company had revenue of $5.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.02 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.30 EPS. Altria Group’s quarterly revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th will be paid a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 25th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 103.16%.

More Altria Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA pilot authorization and national rollout of on! PLUS nicotine pouches expands Altria’s smoke‑free product presence and gives the company an FDA‑cleared next‑gen oral nicotine product to sell nationwide—this supports revenue diversification beyond combustibles and is being cited as a primary catalyst. Altria Expands On! PLUS As FDA Pilot Nod Meets Valuation Debate
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call‑option buying has been reported, indicating speculative or institutional bullish positioning that can amplify near‑term share gains. Traders Purchase Large Volume of Call Options on Altria Group (NYSE:MO)
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentary note tobacco names (including MO) are showing resilience by growing smoke‑free portfolios and adapting to consumer shifts—this sector-level stability supports investor confidence. 3 Tobacco Stocks Showing Resilience Amid Market Headwinds
• Neutral Sentiment: MO continues to attract income investors: it appears in recent roundups of high‑yield S&P 500 stocks, which can support steady demand from dividend‑focused buyers even if growth is limited. 22 S&P 500 Stocks Yield More Than 5%. 6 That Are Worth Buying.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market roundups and same‑day coverage (Zacks, The Motley Fool, Yahoo) note MO’s outperformance while broader indexes slipped—these are summaries of intraday drivers rather than new company fundamentals. Why the Market Dipped But Altria (MO) Gained Today Why Altria Stock Closed Up Today
• Negative Sentiment: Some coverage highlights a valuation debate—questions whether the stock already prices in the yield and the new product’s upside—suggesting upside could be capped until the market sees sustained sales/profit gains from on! PLUS. Altria Expands On! PLUS As FDA Pilot Nod Meets Valuation Debate

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.