Insider Selling: Altria Group (NYSE:MO) SVP Sells $1,885,743.56 in Stock

Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) SVP Charles Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total value of $1,885,743.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Altria Group Price Performance

Shares of MO stock opened at $66.34 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $110.92 billion, a PE ratio of 16.14, a PEG ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.45. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $63.80 and its 200 day simple moving average is $62.60. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $52.82 and a one year high of $70.51.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 287.61% and a net margin of 29.84%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.30 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

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

Key Stories Impacting Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target to $74 and kept a Buy rating, citing slower-than-expected US cigarette volume declines and reinforcing a favorable outlook for Altria’s cash generation. UBS Boosts Altria (MO) Price Target, Sees Slower Industry Cigarette Volume Declines
• Positive Sentiment: Altria confirmed a quarterly dividend of $1.06 (payable Apr 30; record Mar 25), sustaining a ~6% yield that supports income-focused demand for the shares. How UBS’s Reaffirmed Rating Amid Dividend Steadiness At Altria Group (MO) Has Changed Its Investment Story
• Neutral Sentiment: Several outlets and analysts continue to flag Altria as a high‑yield / momentum name, which can attract longer‑term income buyers even as near‑term volatility persists. Here’s Why Altria (MO) is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Negative Sentiment: An insider (SVP Charles Whitaker) sold ~27,908 shares (~$1.9M), which can trigger concern or short‑term selling pressure even if pre‑arranged. Altria Group (NYSE:MO) SVP Sells $1,885,743.56 in Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Latest quarter showed a small EPS miss and slight revenue decline year‑over‑year amid continuing cigarette volume headwinds — fundamentals that cap upside until volumes/stabilization improve. Altria (MO) Registers a Bigger Fall Than the Market: Important Facts to Note
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage is mixed — UBS upgraded/raised its target, but other firms have varied targets and several holds; consensus remains around a Hold with a mid‑$60s target, so directional conviction is split. MarketBeat MO Profile & Analyst Data

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Altria Group

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 62.5% in the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 16,395,070 shares of the company’s stock valued at $954,446,000 after buying an additional 6,302,819 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in Altria Group by 10.6% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 65,516,916 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,777,931,000 after buying an additional 6,265,780 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP raised its stake in Altria Group by 286.7% during the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 4,479,699 shares of the company’s stock worth $295,929,000 after buying an additional 3,321,262 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its holdings in Altria Group by 438.6% in the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 3,637,678 shares of the company’s stock worth $209,749,000 after acquiring an additional 2,962,270 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Altria Group by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 160,980,626 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,282,143,000 after acquiring an additional 1,903,530 shares in the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. UBS Group increased their price target on Altria Group from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Citigroup raised their target price on Altria Group from $57.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Argus upgraded Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Five equities 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, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $65.11.

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.