Altria Group, Inc. $MO Stock: Sanders Morris Harris LLC Increases Stake

Sanders Morris Harris LLC boosted its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 19.8% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 69,438 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 11,483 shares during the quarter. Sanders Morris Harris LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $4,762,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Procyon Advisors LLC raised its stake in Altria Group by 59.3% in the first quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 38,926 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,569,000 after buying an additional 14,490 shares in the last quarter. Stephens Inc. AR lifted its holdings in Altria Group by 8.6% in the first quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 266,504 shares of the company’s stock worth $17,696,000 after buying an additional 21,124 shares during the period. Callan Family Office LLC purchased a new stake in Altria Group in the second quarter worth about $2,911,000. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its position in Altria Group by 26.9% during the 2nd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 1,164,691 shares of the company’s stock valued at $83,800,000 after acquiring an additional 246,702 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Waverly Advisors LLC boosted its position in Altria Group by 21.6% during the 1st quarter. Waverly Advisors LLC now owns 95,137 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,278,000 after acquiring an additional 16,877 shares in the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Altria Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Altria’s roughly 6% dividend yield, strong free cash flow, pricing power and established tobacco brands continue to attract income-oriented investors. Its dividend is viewed as relatively well supported despite long-term declines in cigarette consumption. Altria Group’s 6.2% Dividend Yield: Is the Stock Worth Buying Now?
• Positive Sentiment: Renewed interest in tobacco stocks as bond yields rise is providing a potential defensive and income-related catalyst for Altria. The company’s recent 4.7% dividend increase further reinforces its appeal to yield-focused investors. Investors Are Pushing Into Tobacco Stocks as Rate Concerns Return
• Positive Sentiment: Recent dividend-stock coverage highlights Altria’s high yield and cash-generation profile, potentially increasing visibility among investors seeking large-cap income stocks. These 4 High-Yield Dividend Stocks Have Something Yield Traps Don’t: Cash to Spare
• Neutral Sentiment: Altria is scheduled to report third-quarter results later this month. Analysts are expecting single-digit earnings growth, making the upcoming report and management commentary important near-term catalysts. What You Need To Know Ahead of Altria Group’s Earnings Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor search activity around Altria has increased, signaling heightened attention ahead of earnings, but the data itself does not establish a change in the company’s fundamentals. Investors Heavily Search Altria Group
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish analysts argue that the rally has moved ahead of underlying earnings growth. They cite weak Marlboro performance and reliance on tax benefits and discount brands, estimating fair value below the current trading level. Altria: The Rally Looks Ahead Of Underlying Earnings Growth
• Negative Sentiment: Long-term risks include declining smoking rates, the need to successfully expand smoke-free products and the possibility that elevated valuation limits future total returns, even if the dividend remains secure. Altria: Still In Danger Of Getting Stubbed

Altria Group Stock Up 2.1%

Shares of NYSE:MO traded up $1.49 on Wednesday, hitting $73.05. 6,773,035 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 9,106,620. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $54.70 and a 52 week high of $77.06. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $68.28 and a 200-day simple moving average of $69.47. The company has a market cap of $121.98 billion, a PE ratio of 15.41, a PEG ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.42.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued 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). Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 315.29% and a net margin of 33.99%. The business had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.35 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.44 EPS. Altria Group’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 9th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th were given a dividend of $1.11 per share. This represents a $4.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.1%. This is a positive change from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 15th. Altria Group’s payout ratio is currently 93.67%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on MO. 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 note on Monday. BTIG Research started coverage on Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. Barclays lowered their price objective on Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.11.

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In other news, Director Kathryn McQuade purchased 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 9th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $67.62 per share, for a total transaction of $101,430.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 114,929 shares in the company, valued at $7,771,498.98. This trade represents a 1.32% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Company Profile

Altria Group, Inc is a U.S.-based holding company focused primarily on tobacco and nicotine products. Through its operating companies, Altria manufactures and markets cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, oral nicotine products and electronic cigarettes. Its portfolio includes well-known brands such as Marlboro cigarettes, Copenhagen and Skoal smokeless tobacco, Black & Mild cigars, NJOY e-cigarettes and on! nicotine pouches.

Altria’s principal businesses include Philip Morris USA, the largest U.S.