Ellsworth Advisors LLC Sells 18,455 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Ellsworth Advisors LLC cut its stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 14.3% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 110,502 shares of the company’s stock after selling 18,455 shares during the period. Altria Group makes up about 1.2% of Ellsworth Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th biggest holding. Ellsworth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $7,441,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of MO. GQG Partners LLC bought a new position in Altria Group during the second quarter valued at $1,806,782,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the second quarter valued at $1,104,566,000. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth about $631,606,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth about $349,743,000. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 3,691.2% in the 2nd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 3,606,561 shares of the company’s stock worth $259,492,000 after acquiring an additional 3,511,430 shares during the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Altria Group Stock Up 0.9%

Shares of Altria Group stock opened at $73.81 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $68.50 and its two-hundred day moving average is $69.59. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $54.70 and a 52 week high of $77.06. The company has a market capitalization of $123.25 billion, a PE ratio of 13.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.42.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.35 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.44 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter 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, research 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 declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 9th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th were paid a $1.11 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $4.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.0%. This is a boost from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. Altria Group’s payout ratio is 93.67%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MO has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. BTIG Research initiated coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, June 21st. Finally, Freedom Broker upgraded Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 16th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $70.11.

Key Headlines Impacting Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and financial commentators highlighted Altria’s approximately 6%–7% dividend yield, backed by established brands, pricing power and cash generation. Dividend income has made a meaningful contribution to total shareholder returns. Better High-Yield Dividend Stock: Altria vs. Clorox
• Positive Sentiment: One valuation analysis argued that Altria could be significantly undervalued based on the cash flow it generates for shareholders, reinforcing the stock’s appeal to income and value investors. Altria Group Stock Could Be 50% Undervalued On Cash Flow
• Positive Sentiment: Altria was included among high-yield stocks viewed as having sufficient cash flow to support their payouts, while consumer-staples shares were described as benefiting from favorable earnings trends and defensive characteristics. These 4 High-Yield Dividend Stocks Have Something Yield Traps Don’t: Cash to Spare
• Neutral Sentiment: Altria will host a webcast covering its 2026 third-quarter and nine-month results, giving investors a near-term catalyst to assess cigarette volumes, pricing, smoke-free product growth and full-year guidance. Altria to Host Webcast of 2026 Third-Quarter and Nine-Months Results
• Negative Sentiment: Exchange-traded funds were reported as net sellers of Altria, creating potential short-term technical pressure despite the stock’s fundamental appeal. ETFs Are Net Sellers of Altria
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary continued to flag secular risks, including declining cigarette consumption and the need for smoke-free products to offset pressure on Altria’s mature tobacco business. Analysts are expecting only single-digit earnings growth ahead of the upcoming report. What You Need To Know Ahead of Altria Group’s Earnings Release

Insider Buying and Selling

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 bought at an average price of $67.62 per share, with a total value of $101,430.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 114,929 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,771,498.98. This represents a 1.32% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Altria Group

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.