Altria Group, Inc. $MO Shares Bought by RNC Capital Management LLC

RNC Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 1.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,062,550 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 15,246 shares during the quarter. Altria Group accounts for approximately 2.8% of RNC Capital Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest holding. RNC Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $61,267,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group during the second quarter valued at $27,000. EMC Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group in the third quarter worth about $33,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Gould Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $39,000. Finally, Elevation Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 79.0% during the 4th quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 630 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 278 shares during the period. 57.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Thursday. UBS Group raised their price objective on Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Argus upgraded Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $69.22.

Altria Group Price Performance

Shares of Altria Group stock opened at $73.53 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $122.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.38, a PEG ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 0.48. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $66.70 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $62.65. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $54.70 and a 12 month high of $74.56.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.23 earnings per share. The business’s revenue 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, research analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th were issued a dividend of $1.06 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 25th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.8%. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 88.70%.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The shares were 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 directly owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at $12,221,318.33. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Trending Headlines about Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and guidance reaffirmed — Analysts and coverage note Altria’s strong Q1 results (EPS/revenue beat) and reaffirmed FY guidance, which lifted the stock and underpins the recent rebound. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Price hikes driving earnings — Coverage highlights that Altria’s pricing actions are materially contributing to steady earnings growth, helping total returns and investor momentum. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum appeal — Zacks and other momentum-focused writeups flag MO as attractive to momentum and income investors given rising earnings, dividend yield and recent trend strength. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst tone — Some coverage notes that while analysts are “fairly upbeat” about prospects, Altria has underperformed the S&P 500 over the past year; sentiment is constructive but tempered. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Watchability/valuation debate — Pieces asking “Is Altria worth watching?” weigh steady cash flow and yield against valuation and regulatory/volume risks — useful framing but not a clear near-term catalyst. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Consensus rating = Hold — Aggregated analyst ratings remain a consensus “Hold,” which limits bullish conviction and can cap rerating potential. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Price target friction — Deutsche Bank raised its PT to $66 but kept a “Hold” rating; that PT is below the current trading level, implying limited upside/downside risk if analysts stick to conservative targets. Read More.

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.