Wedge Capital Management L L P NC Grows Holdings in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Wedge Capital Management L L P NC increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 21.1% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 482,761 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 84,007 shares during the quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $27,836,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MO. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC increased its stake in Altria Group by 10.9% in the fourth quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 895,944 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,660,000 after purchasing an additional 87,826 shares during the period. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 4.8% during the fourth quarter. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 11,639 shares of the company’s stock worth $671,000 after buying an additional 532 shares during the period. International Private Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 153.5% during the fourth quarter. International Private Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 24,847 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,433,000 after buying an additional 15,046 shares during the last quarter. Hourglass Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth about $571,000. Finally, KMG Fiduciary Partners LLC increased its position in Altria Group by 19.9% in the 4th quarter. KMG Fiduciary Partners LLC now owns 13,325 shares of the company’s stock valued at $768,000 after acquiring an additional 2,211 shares during the period. 57.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Altria Group Stock Up 2.8%

Shares of NYSE:MO opened at $66.46 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $52.82 and a 52 week high of $70.51. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $65.60 and a 200 day moving average price of $62.54. The company has a market cap of $111.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.17, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.45.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last released its 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). The business had revenue of $5.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.02 billion. 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 previous year, the firm posted $1.30 EPS. Analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Altria Group news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, the senior vice president owned 180,869 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. This trade represents a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.08% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Altria Group

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have commented on MO shares. Citigroup upped their price objective on Altria Group from $57.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Barclays boosted their target price on Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Argus raised shares of Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $65.11.

About Altria Group

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.