100,342 Altria Group, Inc. $MO Shares Purchased by Milestone Asset Management LLC

Key Points

• Milestone Asset Management increased its Altria stake by 169.3% in the third quarter, purchasing 100,342 additional shares for a total position of 159,594 shares valued at approximately $10.7 million. Institutional investors collectively own 57.41% of Altria.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with five Buy, five Hold, and two Sell ratings; the stock carries an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $70.11.
• Altria raised its quarterly dividend to $1.11 per share, equivalent to a 6.0% annualized yield, while reporting quarterly revenue of $5.36 billion and EPS of $1.48, slightly below analyst expectations.

Milestone Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 169.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 159,594 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 100,342 shares during the period. Altria Group makes up about 1.7% of Milestone Asset Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 12th biggest position. Milestone Asset Management LLC's holdings in Altria Group were worth $10,747,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 1.1% during the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 126,073,166 shares of the company's stock worth $9,070,964,000 after purchasing an additional 1,325,175 shares during the last quarter. GQG Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Altria Group in the second quarter valued at $1,806,782,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in Altria Group in the second quarter valued at $1,104,566,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings in Altria Group by 1.0% in the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 12,929,142 shares of the company's stock valued at $853,194,000 after purchasing an additional 133,676 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth about $631,606,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently commented on MO shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Altria Group in a report on Monday. UBS Group boosted their target price 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. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Freedom Broker upgraded shares of Altria Group to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 16th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Altria Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, June 21st. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Altria Group presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $70.11.

Altria Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MO opened at $73.81 on Friday. The business's 50 day moving average price is $68.50 and its 200-day moving average price is $69.59. The firm has a market capitalization of $123.25 billion, a PE ratio of 15.57, a P/E/G ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.42. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $54.70 and a 1 year high of $77.06.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 EPS 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 firm had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.35 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm 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, analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were given a $1.11 dividend. This represents a $4.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.0%. This is a positive change from Altria Group's previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 15th. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 93.67%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group

In other Altria Group news, Director Kathryn McQuade purchased 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 9th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $67.62 per share, for a total transaction of $101,430.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 114,929 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,771,498.98. The trade was a 1.32% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about 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

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.

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