551,837 Shares in Altria Group, Inc. $MO Bought by Advisors Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Advisors Capital Management bought a new 551,837-share position in Altria, valued at approximately $39.7 million. Institutional investors collectively own 57.41% of the company.
• Altria reported quarterly EPS of $1.48, slightly below the $1.50 consensus, while revenue of $5.36 billion edged above expectations and rose 1.2% year over year. The company reaffirmed fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $5.61–$5.72.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $70.11; two directors also recently sold shares.

Advisors Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 551,837 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $39,705,000.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of MO. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 10.6% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 65,516,916 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,777,931,000 after buying an additional 6,265,780 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 3,691.2% during the second quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 3,606,561 shares of the company's stock worth $259,492,000 after buying an additional 3,511,430 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP increased its stake in shares of Altria Group by 286.7% during the third quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 4,479,699 shares of the company's stock worth $295,929,000 after buying an additional 3,321,262 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Altria Group by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 160,980,626 shares of the company's stock worth $9,282,143,000 after buying an additional 1,903,530 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of Nova Scotia raised its holdings in Altria Group by 301.4% in the fourth quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 2,416,142 shares of the company's stock valued at $139,315,000 after acquiring an additional 1,814,224 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.41% of the company's stock.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MO opened at $65.87 on Monday. Altria Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $54.70 and a fifty-two week high of $77.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $109.99 billion, a PE ratio of 13.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.46. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $70.20 and its 200-day simple moving average is $68.86.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last posted 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). The business had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.35 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 315.29% and a net margin of 33.99%.Altria Group's revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.44 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total value of $145,120.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 25,102 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,821,401.12. This trade represents a 7.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total transaction of $418,327.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at $5,332,700.25. This trade represents a 7.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on MO shares. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Barclays dropped 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 company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, BTIG Research started coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a "neutral" rating for the company. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $70.11.

Altria Group Profile

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.

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