8,488 Altria Group, Inc. $MO Shares Purchased by Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. increased its stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,310,086 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,488 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $222,901,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in MO. Balance Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in Altria Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA bought a new stake in Altria Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Cornerstone National Bank & Trust Co bought a new stake in Altria Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Evolution Advisers Inc. increased its stake in Altria Group by 110.9% in the second quarter. Evolution Advisers Inc. now owns 578 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 304 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GK Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group in the third quarter worth $43,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 earnings beat expectations: Adjusted EPS rose to $1.52 from $1.45 a year earlier, exceeding the $1.51 consensus estimate. Net revenue, excluding excise taxes, increased 3.6% to $5.44 billion, supported by higher pricing and stronger smokeable-product profits. Altria MO stock is up, what you need to know
• Positive Sentiment: Higher full-year outlook and buybacks: Altria raised its 2026 adjusted EPS guidance after the quarterly beat and expanded its share-repurchase program. The combination of improved earnings visibility and capital returns helped support the bullish investor reaction. MO Q3 Earnings Call Highlights Higher Guidance and Nicotine Strategy
• Positive Sentiment: Core and next-generation products remain supportive: Needham said Altria’s smokeable volumes continue to outperform the broader industry, helped by its portfolio strategy. Management also highlighted growth in nicotine pouches, giving investors an additional source of expansion beyond traditional cigarettes. Altria’s Smokeable Volumes Continue to Outperform Industry, Needham Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation is attracting attention: Some analysis continues to view Altria as undervalued based on its cash-generation and dividend profile, although the stock’s roughly 153% five-year gain means investors are increasingly focused on whether future cash flows justify the higher valuation. Altria Group Stock Still Appears Undervalued Following Its 153% Run
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst target remains a near-term constraint: Morgan Stanley raised its price target from $71 to $77 but maintained an “equal weight” rating, implying limited upside from the current trading level. This suggests some analysts believe the recent rally has already priced in much of the earnings improvement. Morgan Stanley Altria rating

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Monday, October 12th. Citigroup increased their price target on Altria Group from $70.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. BTIG Research initiated coverage on Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Finally, Freedom Broker raised Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $71.00.

Altria Group Price Performance

Shares of MO opened at $78.03 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $129.80 billion, a PE ratio of 16.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.43. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $70.45 and a 200-day moving average of $68.75. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $79.81.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.51 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $5.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.31 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 330.66% and a net margin of 34.51%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.45 EPS. Analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 9th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were issued a $1.11 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $4.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.7%. This is an increase from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. Altria Group’s payout ratio is presently 91.74%.

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In related news, Director Kathryn McQuade purchased 1,500 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 9th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $67.62 per share, with a total value of $101,430.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 114,929 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,771,498.98. This represents a 1.32% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Altria Group Company Profile

Altria Group, Inc is a U.S.-based consumer products company focused primarily on tobacco, nicotine and related products. Through its operating companies, Altria sells cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, oral tobacco and nicotine products, and electronic vapor products.

Altria’s principal cigarette business is Philip Morris USA, whose portfolio includes Marlboro, Parliament and Virginia Slims. Its other major brands include Copenhagen and Skoal moist smokeless tobacco, Black & Mild cigars, on! nicotine pouches and NJOY electronic cigarettes.