Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC Invests $952,000 in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) in the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund acquired 13,237 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $952,000. Altria Group makes up approximately 0.5% of Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 24th largest position.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. GQG Partners LLC purchased a new position in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,806,782,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,104,566,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in Altria Group during the second quarter worth about $631,606,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Altria Group by 10.6% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 65,516,916 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,777,931,000 after purchasing an additional 6,265,780 shares during the period. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the second quarter worth about $349,743,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of Altria Group stock opened at $68.68 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $77.06. The company has a market cap of $114.68 billion, a PE ratio of 14.49, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.46. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $70.10 and a 200-day simple moving average of $68.95.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.35 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 315.29% and a net margin of 33.99%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.44 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MO has been the subject of several recent research reports. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. BTIG Research started coverage on Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price objective on Altria Group in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Five 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 has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $70.11.

Altria Group News Summary

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

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.