Vestor Capital LLC Decreases Stock Holdings in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Vestor Capital LLC decreased its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 98.9% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 5,624 shares of the company’s stock after selling 513,885 shares during the quarter. Vestor Capital LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $371,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MO. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its stake in Altria Group by 5.8% during the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 2,619 shares of the company’s stock valued at $191,000 after buying an additional 143 shares during the last quarter. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Altria Group by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,704 shares of the company’s stock worth $733,000 after acquiring an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Kanawha Capital Management LLC now owns 19,546 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,127,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 8,243 shares of the company’s stock worth $475,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Patten Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 4.0% during the first quarter. Patten Group Inc. now owns 4,165 shares of the company’s stock valued at $275,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group

In related news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total value of $418,327.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 73,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,332,700.25. The trade was a 7.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total value of $145,120.00. Following the sale, the director owned 25,102 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. This trade represents a 7.38% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently issued reports on MO. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, BTIG Research started coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.78.

Altria Group Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of Altria Group stock opened at $68.46 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $54.70 and a twelve month high of $77.06. The company’s 50 day moving average is $71.72 and its 200 day moving average is $68.30. The company has a market cap of $114.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.45.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.35 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 315.29% and a net margin of 33.99%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.44 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 89.45%.

Trending Headlines about Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Altria’s second-quarter adjusted EPS rose from $1.44 to $1.48 year over year, while revenue reached approximately $5.36 billion, slightly above analysts’ expectations. Higher cigarette pricing, particularly for Marlboro, helped offset declining shipment volumes. Altria Group Q2 Adjusted Earnings, Revenue Rise; Fiscal 2026 Adjusted EPS Outlook Narrowed
• Positive Sentiment: The company highlighted expansion of its on! PLUS nicotine pouch brand to roughly 120,000 stores and continued investment in smoke-free products, supporting expectations for long-term category growth. Shareholder returns and resilient cash flow also remain attractive to income-focused investors. Altria Q2 Earnings Call Highlights Smoke-Free Growth Plans
• Neutral Sentiment: Altria narrowed its fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to $5.61-$5.72, broadly surrounding the analyst consensus of $5.68. The revised range offers some earnings visibility but suggests limited near-term upside without stronger volume or smoke-free growth. Altria Group Q2 Adjusted Earnings, Revenue Rise; Fiscal 2026 Adjusted EPS Outlook Narrowed
• Negative Sentiment: Second-quarter EPS of $1.48 missed the $1.50 consensus estimate. Cigarette volumes weakened as inflation encouraged some consumers to trade down from premium Marlboro products, while softer oral-tobacco sales and intensified nicotine-pouch competition pressured results. Altria Q2 Earnings Miss Estimates, Cigarette Volumes Down
• Negative Sentiment: Levi & Korsinsky announced an investigation into whether Altria accurately described the FDA regulatory status of on! PLUS and the prospects for near-term authorization of additional applications. The inquiry adds potential legal and regulatory overhang to the stock. Altria Group Investigation Notice

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.