Altria Group, Inc. $MO Shares Bought by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Key Points

• Principal Financial Group increased its stake in Altria by 3.2% in Q4 to 1,911,401 shares, worth about $110.2 million, and institutions now own roughly 57.41% of the stock.
• Altria beat Q1 expectations with EPS of $1.32 (vs. $1.25 est.) and revenue of $4.76B (vs. $4.58B est.), and set FY2026 guidance of 5.560–5.72 EPS (analysts expect ~5.67).
• SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares at about $67.57 (a 13.37% reduction), and corporate insiders collectively own just 0.10% of the company.

Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 3.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,911,401 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 59,140 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 0.11% of Altria Group worth $110,211,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. raised its stake in Altria Group by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 3,522,209 shares of the company's stock valued at $232,677,000 after acquiring an additional 44,303 shares during the last quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 14.1% in the fourth quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC now owns 202,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,647,000 after purchasing an additional 25,000 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 7.2% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 12,073,682 shares of the company's stock worth $797,587,000 after purchasing an additional 814,665 shares during the last quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 13.7% during the third quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 144,725 shares of the company's stock worth $9,561,000 after purchasing an additional 17,429 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 12.0% during the third quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 796,225 shares of the company's stock worth $52,599,000 after purchasing an additional 85,177 shares during the period. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In related news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of Altria Group 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 directly owned 180,869 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. The trade was a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Altria Group Stock Down 3.5%

NYSE:MO opened at $70.26 on Thursday. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $66.83 and its 200-day simple moving average is $62.74. The stock has a market cap of $117.33 billion, a PE ratio of 14.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.48. Altria Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $54.70 and a fifty-two week high of $74.56.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last released 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. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The firm had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.23 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate 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. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 25th were paid a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 25th. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 88.70%.

Altria Group News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong Q1 results and product mix shift — Altria reported higher revenue and EPS year-over-year, highlighted growing oral-nicotine pouch sales and reiterated shareholder returns via dividends and buybacks, which drove a recent rally. Why Altria (MO) Is Up 7.4% After Strong Q1 Earnings And Rising Oral Nicotine Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Growth narrative reinforced — analysts and screens (Zacks style scores) are pointing to Altria’s combination of stable cash flow, margin strength and secular growth from new oral-nicotine offerings as drivers of multi-factor investor interest. Here's Why Altria (MO) is a Strong Growth Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend appeal highlighted — recent articles include Altria in coverage of dependable dividend names, reinforcing its income-investor appeal and supporting the case for longer-term buy-and-hold holders. These 3 Dividend Stocks Have Raised Their Payouts for a Combined 187 Years. Here's Why That Matters To Passive Income Lovers
• Neutral Sentiment: Trending/attention signals — Zacks flagged MO as a trending ticker, meaning higher retail attention which can amplify intraday moves but is not a directional fundamental change. Altria Group, Inc. (MO) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Neutral Sentiment: Relative sector performance discussion — coverage comparing Altria to consumer-staples peers highlights that MO has outperformed parts of the sector this year, which helps explain rotation and re-rating debate among investors. Are Consumer Staples Stocks Lagging Altria Group (MO) This Year?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage / reports — recent analyst reports and research notes (Argus, Yahoo finance aggregation) provide updated models but no major consensus upgrade, so coverage is steady but not strongly bullish. Analyst Report: Altria Group Inc
• Negative Sentiment: Street stance is cautious — consensus analyst rating around "Hold" signals limited near-term upgrade momentum, which can cap gains after earnings-driven rallies and contribute to today’s pullback. Altria Group, Inc. NYSE: MO Given Consensus Rating of "Hold" by Analysts
• Neutral Sentiment: Various watchlist pieces weigh pros/cons — opportunistic coverage asks whether MO is "worth watching" now; useful for framing risk/reward but not a direct catalyst. Is Altria Stock Worth Watching Right Now

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MO has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Monday. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Altria Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price on Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Altria Group has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $69.22.

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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