Altria Group, Inc. $MO Shares Purchased by Allstate Corp

Key Points

• Allstate Corp more than doubled its stake in Altria Group during the fourth quarter, increasing holdings by 110.5% to 127,469 shares valued at about $7.35 million.
• Altria shares were cited as down 2.0% in the report, though the stock had recently traded near $72.41 with a market cap of $120.92 billion and remained close to its 52-week high.
• Altria posted strong quarterly results, beating earnings and revenue estimates, while also announcing a quarterly dividend of $1.06 per share, or $4.24 annually, for a 5.9% yield.

Allstate Corp raised its holdings in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 110.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 127,469 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 66,920 shares during the quarter. Allstate Corp's holdings in Altria Group were worth $7,350,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. MSH Capital Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 2.9% during the 4th quarter. MSH Capital Advisors LLC now owns 9,912 shares of the company's stock worth $572,000 after purchasing an additional 280 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 9.3% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 120,522 shares of the company's stock worth $6,949,000 after acquiring an additional 10,245 shares during the period. Clearstead Trust LLC grew its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 163.3% in the 4th quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 1,069 shares of the company's stock worth $62,000 after acquiring an additional 663 shares during the period. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC increased its stake in Altria Group by 6.0% in the 4th quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC now owns 4,919 shares of the company's stock valued at $284,000 after purchasing an additional 277 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Glenview Trust Co increased its stake in Altria Group by 5.0% in the 4th quarter. Glenview Trust Co now owns 76,906 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,434,000 after purchasing an additional 3,673 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company's stock.

Altria Group Stock Down 2.0%

Shares of NYSE MO opened at $72.41 on Wednesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $67.93 and a 200-day moving average of $63.78. The stock has a market capitalization of $120.92 billion, a PE ratio of 15.15, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.48. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $54.70 and a 52-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 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 298.69% and a net margin of 34.34%.The company's revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.23 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 88.70%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently commented on MO shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Bank of America boosted their price target on Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $69.33.

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 that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total value of $1,885,743.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at $12,221,318.33. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

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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