Altria Group, Inc. $MO Shares Purchased by Annex Advisory Services LLC

Key Points

• Annex Advisory Services LLC boosted its Altria stake by 169.7% in Q4, adding 34,338 shares to hold 54,574 shares worth about $3.15 million.
• SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares on March 5 for roughly $1.89 million (a 13.37% reduction), retaining 180,869 shares valued at about $12.22 million.
• Altria recently declared a $1.06 quarterly dividend (annualized yield ≈ 6.6%) with a payout ratio of 103.16%; analysts' consensus is "Hold" with an average target of $65.88 while the stock trades in the mid‑$60s.

Annex Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 169.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 54,574 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 34,338 shares during the period. Annex Advisory Services LLC's holdings in Altria Group were worth $3,147,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. EMC Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Altria Group by 79.0% in the fourth quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 630 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 278 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gould Capital LLC purchased a new position in Altria Group during the third quarter worth approximately $39,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.41% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group

In other news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Altria Group News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst tone turning more constructive — a Seeking Alpha piece argues Wall Street’s upgrade reflects renewed confidence in Altria’s pricing power, new products and market opportunities, suggesting upside versus prior overly‑pessimistic views. Altria: Wall Street Finally Came To Its Senses
• Positive Sentiment: Regulatory/product progress — Altria is rolling out on! PLUS nicotine pouches nationwide after selection for the FDA’s fast‑track pilot for certain nicotine products, which supports the company’s smoke‑free growth narrative and could improve long‑term revenue mix if adoption scales. Altria’s on! PLUS Fast Track Launch Tests Smoke Free Growth Story
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming earnings focus — preview coverage notes a modest expected rise in Q1 EPS; investors are watching top‑line trends (smokable volume vs. pricing/new product mix) for confirmation of guidance and margin stability. Earnings could swing sentiment in either direction. What to Expect From Altria Group’s Q1 2026 Earnings Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation/short‑term technicals — market commentary highlights a recent pullback after a strong run; MO still yields in the high single digits and trades near its 50/200‑day averages, keeping income investors engaged but leaving limited upside for growth‑focused buyers. Assessing Altria Group (MO) Valuation After Recent Share Pullback And Mixed Short Term Returns
• Negative Sentiment: Dividends and growth concerns — a Seeking Alpha analysis warns Altria’s long Dividend King streak faces challenges as growth slows, flagging balance‑sheet and runway risks that could pressure the dividend narrative central to investor demand. That critique likely weighs on income‑focused holders. Very Bad News For Altria: This Dividend King Is Running Out Of Runway
• Negative Sentiment: Comparative risk vs. peers — analyst commentary and comparisons (e.g., vs. Philip Morris) highlight divergent fundamentals and the possibility that one dividend story is riskier than another, which can prompt reallocation away from MO among yield‑seeking portfolios. Altria vs. Philip Morris: One Dividend Is a Trap — Here's Which One to Avoid

Altria Group Trading Down 1.8%

Shares of NYSE MO opened at $64.46 on Thursday. Altria Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $54.70 and a twelve month high of $70.51. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $66.62 and a 200-day simple moving average of $62.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $107.74 billion, a PE ratio of 15.68, a PEG ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.41.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 287.61% and a net margin of 29.84%.The company had revenue of $5.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.02 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.30 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th will be issued a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 25th. Altria Group's payout ratio is presently 103.16%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Altria Group from $57.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Barclays lifted their price objective on Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Argus upgraded Altria Group to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price objective on Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Five investment 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. According to MarketBeat, Altria Group presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $65.88.

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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