Jupiter Topco LLC Takes Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Jupiter Topco LLC purchased a new stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 85,566 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,156,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in MO. GQG Partners LLC bought a new position in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,806,782,000. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $631,606,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in Altria Group by 10.6% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 65,516,916 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,777,931,000 after buying an additional 6,265,780 shares during the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $349,743,000. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its stake in shares of Altria Group by 3,691.2% in the 2nd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 3,606,561 shares of the company’s stock valued at $259,492,000 after buying an additional 3,511,430 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Price Performance

Altria Group stock opened at $68.39 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $114.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.43, a PEG ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.46. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $70.08 and its 200 day simple moving average is $69.01. Altria Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $54.70 and a fifty-two week high of $77.06.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.50 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.35 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 33.99% and a negative return on equity of 315.29%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.44 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS 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. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a $1.11 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $4.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.5%. This is an increase from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 89.45%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on MO shares. Wall Street Zen lowered Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, June 21st. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. BTIG Research started coverage on Altria Group in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. 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 research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Altria Group presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $70.11.

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.