AlphaStar Capital Management LLC Has $3.05 Million Stake in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• AlphaStar Capital raised its stake in Altria by 360.8% in Q4 and now owns 52,881 shares valued at approximately $3.05 million.
• Altria beat Q1 revenue and EPS estimates and reconfirmed FY2026 guidance, spurring analyst price‑target upgrades (including Stifel, Goldman Sachs and UBS) and stronger market momentum.
• The company pays a quarterly dividend of $1.06 (annualized $4.24) for a yield of 5.7%, but the dividend payout ratio is high at 103.16%, raising sustainability questions.

AlphaStar Capital Management LLC raised its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 360.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 52,881 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 41,405 shares during the period. AlphaStar Capital Management LLC's holdings in Altria Group were worth $3,049,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of MO. Woodard & Co. Asset Management Group Inc. ADV lifted its position in shares of Altria Group by 4.1% during the 4th quarter. Woodard & Co. Asset Management Group Inc. ADV now owns 7,210 shares of the company's stock valued at $416,000 after acquiring an additional 285 shares during the period. Capital Management Corp VA lifted its position in shares of Altria Group by 41.1% during the 4th quarter. Capital Management Corp VA now owns 102,680 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,921,000 after acquiring an additional 29,913 shares during the period. PKO Investment Management Joint Stock Co acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at $1,776,000. Souders Financial Advisors raised its holdings in Altria Group by 20.4% during the fourth quarter. Souders Financial Advisors now owns 5,957 shares of the company's stock worth $343,000 after buying an additional 1,011 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CX Institutional raised its holdings in Altria Group by 11.4% during the fourth quarter. CX Institutional now owns 143,593 shares of the company's stock worth $8,280,000 after buying an additional 14,700 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Altria Group news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total transaction of $1,885,743.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 180,869 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. This trade represents a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat and guidance intact — Altria topped revenue and EPS estimates, cited pricing and cost controls as drivers, and reconfirmed FY2026 EPS guidance, a key reason investors are buying the stock. Altria beats quarterly profit estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Stifel raised its price target to $77 and kept a Buy rating, signaling incremental analyst confidence that supports the rally. Stifel raises PT to $77
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley highlights solid profit momentum and visibility from Altria’s pricing and portfolio; that institutional endorsement helped market sentiment. Morgan Stanley bullish note
• Positive Sentiment: Index/momentum attention — coverage noting an “S&P 500 moment” and recent share-price momentum has likely attracted passive and momentum flows into MO. Altria’s S&P 500 Moment
• Positive Sentiment: Income appeal — MO continues to be featured in low-risk/dividend lists, reinforcing demand from income-focused investors. Low-risk investment list
• Neutral Sentiment: Citigroup raised its target to $70 but kept a Neutral rating — signal of modestly improved fundamentals but still cautious relative to current levels. Citigroup PT update
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate housekeeping: Altria will webcast its 2026 annual meeting — routine disclosure, minimal immediate price impact but relevant for shareholder engagement. Webcast of annual meeting
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation/momentum checks — analysts and media note strong 1‑year and 3‑month returns and mixed earnings expectations; market is re-pricing income story vs. growth risks. Valuation check
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/inflation caution — some analysts warn inflation and macro uncertainty increase downside risk despite the dividend and pricing power; a few commentators downgraded or advocated caution. Inflation and macro risk concerns

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on MO. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Altria Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $77.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Thursday. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday. Five 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.com, Altria Group presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $69.63.

Altria Group Price Performance

Shares of MO opened at $74.37 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $54.70 and a 1-year high of $74.56. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $66.70 and its 200 day simple moving average is $62.67. The company has a market capitalization of $124.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.56, a P/E/G ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 0.48.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The business's revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.23 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th were given a dividend of $1.06 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 25th. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.7%. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 103.16%.

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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