Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC Raises Stock Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC increased its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 13.7% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 189,087 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 22,778 shares during the period. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $12,478,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 1.2% in the fourth 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. State Street Corp boosted its stake in Altria Group by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 72,830,531 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,275,886,000 after buying an additional 1,147,141 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position 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 buying an additional 6,265,780 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in Altria Group by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 45,984,718 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,651,383,000 after buying an additional 729,999 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased its stake in Altria Group by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 22,306,173 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,286,174,000 after acquiring an additional 335,089 shares during the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have weighed in on MO shares. 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. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, June 21st. Five equities research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.44.

Altria Group Trading Up 1.6%

MO opened at $73.22 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $122.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.32, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.46. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $70.10 and a 200-day moving average price of $65.72. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $54.70 and a 12-month high of $74.56.

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, equities research analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 88.70%.

Key Stories Impacting Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Altria is being viewed as a defensive, income-oriented stock, with articles highlighting its appeal to dividend investors and its ability to hold up well during market weakness. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage suggests the stock may still offer an attractive valuation after its recent gains, which can keep value investors interested in MO. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are encouraged by Altria’s transition toward smoke-free products, including nicotine pouches and other reduced-risk offerings, which could help offset cigarette volume declines over time. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains mixed but generally stable, with the stock receiving an average “Hold” rating, suggesting no major near-term shift in Wall Street’s view. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Altria continues to face pressure in its traditional cigarette business, along with tighter regulation and changing consumer habits, which is why investors are watching whether smoke-free growth can fully offset legacy declines. Article Title

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the director directly owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at $1,821,401.12. This represents a 7.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the director owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. The trade was a 7.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate 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.