Altria Group, Inc. $MO Holdings Decreased by International Assets Investment Management LLC

Key Points

• International Assets Investment Management cut its Altria stake by 50.9% in the third quarter, selling 35,571 shares and retaining 34,273 shares worth about $2.3 million.
• Altria reported quarterly revenue of $5.44 billion, up 1% year over year, and EPS of $1.52, slightly above analyst expectations. It raised its quarterly dividend to $1.11 per share, an annualized yield of about 5.8%.
• Analysts’ consensus rating was Hold, with an average price target of $71.67; five analysts rated the stock Buy, six Hold, and two Sell.

International Assets Investment Management LLC lowered its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 50.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 34,273 shares of the company's stock after selling 35,571 shares during the quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC's holdings in Altria Group were worth $2,295,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. GQG Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,806,782,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in Altria Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,104,566,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $631,606,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new stake in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $349,743,000. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its position in Altria Group by 3,691.2% during the 2nd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 3,606,561 shares of the company's stock valued at $259,492,000 after purchasing an additional 3,511,430 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Kathryn McQuade acquired 1,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 9th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $67.62 per share, for a total transaction of $101,430.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 114,929 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,771,498.98. The trade was a 1.32% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Altria Group Stock Down 0.1%

NYSE MO opened at $76.08 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $126.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.72, a P/E/G ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.43. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $54.70 and a 52 week high of $79.87. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $71.38 and a 200-day moving average price of $69.15.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.51 by $0.01. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 330.66% and a net margin of 34.51%. The company had revenue of $5.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.31 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.45 EPS. Altria Group's quarterly revenue was up 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.70 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 given a $1.11 dividend. This represents a $4.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. This is an increase from Altria Group's previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. Altria Group's payout ratio is currently 91.74%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on MO. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Altria Group from $70.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, October 30th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $58.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Monday, November 2nd. BTIG Research began coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a "neutral" rating for the company. Freedom Broker raised shares of Altria Group to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Altria Group in a report on Monday, October 12th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $71.67.

Trending Headlines about Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Altria reported third-quarter 2026 sales of $5.441 billion, net income of $2.518 billion and continuing-operations EPS of $1.51. The company also extended its long-running dividend-increase streak, continued share repurchases and pointed to growth in its on! nicotine pouch brand—supporting the case for earnings and cash returns. Are Strong Earnings Altering The Investment Case For Altria Stock (MO)?
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles highlighted MO’s high shareholder yield and appeal to investors seeking defensive income amid market volatility. One characterized the stock as trading in a buy zone as investors rotated toward consumer staples. Meet the High-Yield Dividend Stock Quietly Crushing the S&P 500 4 Stocks With Solid Shareholder Yields to Buy Amid US Market Decline Altria Stock Trades In Buy Zone As Investors Shift To Defense
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary questioning whether Altria’s dividend adequately compensates investors for its share-price risks highlights the need to weigh income against potential capital returns. The supplied article summary does not detail a new company-specific concern. Is Altria's Dividend Enough To Make Up For Its Share Price?

Altria Group Company Profile

Altria Group, Inc is a U.S.-based tobacco and nicotine company whose businesses focus primarily on the domestic market. Its products include cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, cigars, oral nicotine products and e-vapor products.

Altria's portfolio includes Marlboro cigarettes, made by Philip Morris USA; Copenhagen and Skoal smokeless tobacco products, made by U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company; and products from John Middleton and Helix Innovations. The company also owns NJOY, an e-vapor brand.

The company was established as Philip Morris Companies Inc and adopted the Altria name in 2003.

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