Rakuten Investment Management Inc. Invests $20.23 Million in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Rakuten Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) in the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor purchased 273,210 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $20,231,000.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Orion Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $140,000. Glenview Trust Co acquired a new stake in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth $5,907,000. North Star Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Altria Group in the second quarter valued at $2,649,000. Concorde Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Altria Group in the second quarter valued at $441,000. Finally, Maxele Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group in the second quarter valued at $311,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Altria Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Altria raised its quarterly dividend 4.7% to $1.11 per share, payable October 9 to shareholders of record September 15. The increase reinforces Altria’s reputation as a high-yield income stock, with an annualized yield of approximately 6.5%, and may be supporting investor demand. Altria Increases Quarterly Dividend to $1.11 Per Share
• Positive Sentiment: The election of Steve Presley to Altria’s board adds a director with extensive consumer-products and business leadership experience. While not an immediate earnings catalyst, the appointment could support oversight and long-term strategic execution. Altria Announces Election of Steve Presley to Altria’s Board of Directors
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary continues to focus on Altria’s valuation, dividend durability and efforts to expand beyond traditional cigarettes. The stock’s roughly 95% five-year gain highlights its strong performance, but also raises questions about how much future growth is already reflected in the price. Altria Stock Looks Reasonably Priced
• Negative Sentiment: The FDA authorized three new JUUL2 e-cigarette products, including flavored pods. The decision validates the regulated nicotine-vapor category but may intensify competition for Altria’s NJOY business and other reduced-risk products, potentially limiting market-share gains. FDA Allows Marketing of Juul’s New E-Cigarettes and Flavored Pods

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MO has been the topic of a number of research reports. Citigroup raised their price target on Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen downgraded Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, June 21st. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Barclays cut their target price on shares of Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Altria Group presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $70.11.

Altria Group Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of Altria Group stock opened at $68.68 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $114.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.46. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $54.70 and a 52-week high of $77.06. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $70.10 and its 200-day simple moving average is $68.95.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a net margin of 33.99% and a negative return on equity of 315.29%. The firm had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.35 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.44 EPS. Altria Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of $1.11 per share. This is a positive change from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $4.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.5%. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 89.45%.

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.