1,855,767 Altria Group, Inc. $MO Shares Sold by Assenagon Asset Management S.A.

Key Points

• Assenagon Asset Management cut its Altria stake by 51.5%, selling 1,855,767 shares and retaining 1,750,794 shares valued at approximately $117.9 million.
• Altria raised its quarterly dividend to $1.11 per share, or $4.44 annualized, resulting in a 5.9% yield; the payout ratio stands at 93.67%.
• Altria’s latest quarterly earnings slightly missed estimates, with EPS of $1.48 versus $1.50 expected, while revenue increased 1.2% year over year to $5.36 billion. Analysts maintain a consensus Hold rating with an average price target of $70.11.

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lessened its holdings in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 51.5% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,750,794 shares of the company's stock after selling 1,855,767 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned about 0.10% of Altria Group worth $117,898,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. BlackRock Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 126,073,166 shares of the company's stock valued at $9,070,964,000 after buying an additional 1,325,175 shares in the last quarter. GQG Partners LLC purchased a new position in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,806,782,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,104,566,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its holdings in Altria Group by 1.0% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 12,929,142 shares of the company's stock valued at $853,194,000 after acquiring an additional 133,676 shares during the period. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $631,606,000. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Kathryn McQuade bought 1,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 9th. The stock was bought at an average price of $67.62 per share, for a total transaction of $101,430.00. Following 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 acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Altria Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MO opened at $75.13 on Friday. The company's fifty day moving average price is $68.63 and its 200-day moving average price is $69.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $125.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.85, a PEG ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.42. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $77.06.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share (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 company had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.35 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.44 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 9th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th were issued a dividend of $1.11 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $4.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.9%. This is a positive change from Altria Group's previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. Altria Group's payout ratio is 93.67%.

Trending Headlines about Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS maintained a $79 price target for Altria, implying additional potential upside from recent levels and signaling continued confidence in the tobacco company’s outlook. UBS reiterates USD 79.00 target for Altria Group stock
• Positive Sentiment: Several investor-focused reports highlighted Altria’s appeal as an income stock. Its cigarette and nicotine-pouch businesses generate cash to support the dividend, which contributed meaningfully to shareholder returns over the past year. Other coverage described MO as potentially undervalued based on cash flow and attractive for retirement-income portfolios, despite the stock’s longer-term lag versus the S&P 500. Do Altria's Dividends Make Up For A Lagging Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: Altria was included among high-yield consumer-staples and dividend stocks viewed as capable of generating reliable income, helping reinforce demand from yield-oriented investors. Generate $50,000 in Passive Income With the 5 Highest Yielding S&P 500 Stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: Bernstein retained a Hold rating, indicating neither a clear bullish nor bearish change in its view. Bernstein Keeps Their Hold Rating on Altria
• Neutral Sentiment: Altria will host a webcast covering its 2026 third-quarter and nine-month results. The event could become the next significant catalyst, particularly for updates on cigarette volumes, smoke-free products, earnings guidance and dividend capacity. Altria to Host Webcast of 2026 Third-Quarter and Nine-Months Results
• Negative Sentiment: Exchange-traded funds were reported as net sellers of MO, creating near-term technical pressure. Separately, MarketWatch noted that Altria’s gain lagged those of competitors, limiting its relative strength. ETFs Are Net Sellers of Altria

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on MO shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded Altria Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, June 21st. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Altria Group in a report on Monday. UBS Group raised their target price on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Freedom Broker upgraded Altria Group to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 16th. Finally, Barclays decreased their price target on Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $70.11.

Altria Group Company Profile

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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