Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Lowers Stake in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. reduced its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 45.3% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 17,861 shares of the company’s stock after selling 14,795 shares during the quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $1,180,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. CWA Asset Management Group LLC raised its position in shares of Altria Group by 8.6% in the 3rd quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 335,418 shares of the company’s stock worth $22,158,000 after acquiring an additional 26,624 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. boosted its position in Altria Group by 1.3% during the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 3,522,209 shares of the company’s stock valued at $232,677,000 after purchasing an additional 44,303 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in Altria Group by 7.2% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 12,073,682 shares of the company’s stock valued at $797,587,000 after purchasing an additional 814,665 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Altria Group by 1.0% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 159,717,148 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,364,216,000 after purchasing an additional 1,599,923 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Silver Oak Securities Incorporated grew its stake in Altria Group by 155.4% in the third quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 31,220 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,062,000 after purchasing an additional 18,997 shares during the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Altria Group news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total transaction of $1,885,743.56. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.08% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about 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

Altria Group Stock Performance

Altria Group stock opened at $66.34 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $110.92 billion, a PE ratio of 16.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.45. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $63.80 and a two-hundred day moving average of $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 issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.32 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 287.61% and a net margin of 29.84%.During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.30 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th will be given 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 payout ratio is currently 103.16%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MO has been the subject of several analyst reports. Argus raised shares of Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned 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 target price of $65.11.

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.