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

Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership decreased its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 23.1% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 9,202,240 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,762,939 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $607,256,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund increased its holdings in Altria Group by 7.1% during the fourth quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 668,243 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,531,000 after buying an additional 44,267 shares during the period. Rayburn West Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at $2,438,000. North Dakota State Investment Board bought a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter worth $3,336,000. Procyon Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Altria Group by 59.3% in the 1st quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 38,926 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,569,000 after acquiring an additional 14,490 shares in the last quarter. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 206.7% during the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 75,573 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,358,000 after purchasing an additional 50,931 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group News Roundup

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)

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In other news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total transaction of $145,120.00. Following 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total value of $418,327.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 73,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. This represents a 7.27% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MO has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, June 21st. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. BTIG Research initiated coverage on shares of Altria Group in a report on Tuesday. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 target price on Altria Group in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Altria Group currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $70.78.

Altria Group Stock Performance

NYSE MO opened at $72.08 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $71.91 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $67.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $120.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.08, a PEG ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.45. Altria Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $54.70 and a fifty-two week high of $75.28.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced 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. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 298.69% and a net margin of 34.34%.The company had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.23 earnings per share. Altria Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

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

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.