Altria Group, Inc. $MO Shares Acquired by International Assets Investment Management LLC

Key Points

• International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Altria by 206.7% in Q4 to 75,573 shares, valued at about $4.36 million.
• Altria beat quarterly expectations with $1.32 EPS (vs. $1.25 est.) and $4.76B revenue (vs. $4.58B est.), set FY2026 EPS guidance of 5.560–5.72, yet analysts' consensus remains a Hold with an average target of $69.22.
• Altria pays a quarterly dividend of $1.06 (annualized $4.24), representing a roughly 6.1% yield and a payout ratio of 88.7%.

International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 206.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 75,573 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 50,931 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC's holdings in Altria Group were worth $4,358,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MO. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its stake in Altria Group by 286.7% during the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 4,479,699 shares of the company's stock worth $295,929,000 after purchasing an additional 3,321,262 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its stake in Altria Group by 19.4% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 19,567,823 shares of the company's stock worth $1,285,575,000 after purchasing an additional 3,172,753 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its stake in Altria Group by 438.6% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 3,637,678 shares of the company's stock worth $209,749,000 after purchasing an additional 2,962,270 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted 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 worth $9,282,143,000 after purchasing an additional 1,903,530 shares during the period. Finally, Freestone Grove Partners LP acquired a new stake in Altria Group during the 3rd quarter worth $89,460,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently weighed in on MO shares. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Altria Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of Altria Group to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $69.22.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of Altria Group stock opened at $69.05 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $115.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.44, a PEG ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.48. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $74.56. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $66.83 and a two-hundred day moving average of $62.77.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. Altria Group's quarterly revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.23 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 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 was Wednesday, March 25th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.1%. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 88.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Altria Group 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 transaction, the senior vice president owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 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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