CIBC Asset Management Inc Buys 158,012 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

CIBC Asset Management Inc boosted its stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 23.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 839,373 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 158,012 shares during the quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $48,398,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MO. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its stake in Altria Group by 286.7% in the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 4,479,699 shares of the company’s stock worth $295,929,000 after purchasing an additional 3,321,262 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its stake in Altria Group by 19.4% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 19,567,823 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,285,575,000 after purchasing an additional 3,172,753 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its stake in Altria Group by 438.6% in the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 3,637,678 shares of the company’s stock worth $209,749,000 after purchasing an additional 2,962,270 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Altria Group by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 160,980,626 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,282,143,000 after purchasing an additional 1,903,530 shares during the period. Finally, Freestone Grove Partners LP bought a new position in Altria Group in the 3rd quarter worth about $89,460,000. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Trading Up 1.7%

Shares of NYSE MO opened at $70.45 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $117.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.74, a P/E/G ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.46. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $54.70 and a 1-year high of $74.56. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $68.50 and its 200 day moving average is $64.31.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 298.69% and a net margin of 34.34%.Altria Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.23 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 88.70%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on MO. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price target on Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. Bank of America raised their price target on Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price target on Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $70.44.

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In related news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total transaction of $145,120.00. Following the transaction, the director directly 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total value of $418,327.50. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. This represents a 7.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.