Altria Group, Inc. $MO Holdings Raised by Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.

Key Points

• Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. increased its Altria Group stake by 72.3% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holdings to 471,352 shares valued at about $27.2 million.
• Altria reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of $1.32 versus $1.25 expected and revenue of $4.76 billion, up 5.3% year over year.
• The company continues to offer a high dividend yield, with a quarterly payout of $1.06 and an annualized dividend yield of 6.2%; analysts currently have a consensus rating of Hold with an average price target of $69.22.

Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. increased its stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 72.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 471,352 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 197,765 shares during the quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.'s holdings in Altria Group were worth $27,178,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of MO. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Altria Group by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 160,980,626 shares of the company's stock valued at $9,282,143,000 after purchasing an additional 1,903,530 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 19.4% during the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 19,567,823 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,285,575,000 after buying an additional 3,172,753 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in Altria Group by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 16,705,159 shares of the company's stock worth $1,103,543,000 after acquiring an additional 59,189 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in Altria Group by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 12,747,828 shares of the company's stock worth $842,122,000 after acquiring an additional 132,846 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors boosted its position in Altria Group by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 12,131,644 shares of the company's stock worth $801,412,000 after acquiring an additional 47,757 shares during the period. 57.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Altria Group Price Performance

Altria Group stock opened at $68.11 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $74.56. The company's fifty day moving average price is $66.83 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $62.77. The company has a market capitalization of $113.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.25, a PEG ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.48.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 298.69% and a net margin of 34.34%.The business had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.23 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th were paid a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 25th. Altria Group's payout ratio is presently 88.70%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on MO shares. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Altria Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $77.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Bank of America upped their target price on Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target on Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Five investment 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. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $69.22.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total transaction of $1,885,743.56. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

About Altria Group

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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