Altria Group, Inc. $MO Shares Sold by Mediolanum International Funds Ltd

Key Points

• Mediolanum International Funds Ltd reduced its Altria Group stake by 9.5% in the first quarter, selling 48,022 shares and ending with 454,974 shares worth about $30.5 million.
• Altria shares were trading higher at $74.23, near their 52-week high of $75.28, with a market cap of $123.96 billion and a dividend yield of about 5.7%.
• The company beat earnings expectations in its latest quarter, reporting EPS of $1.32 versus estimates of $1.25, and it maintained FY 2026 guidance of 5.56 to 5.72 EPS.

Mediolanum International Funds Ltd lessened its stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 9.5% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 454,974 shares of the company's stock after selling 48,022 shares during the quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd's holdings in Altria Group were worth $30,492,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Altria Group by 1.2% in the fourth 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 last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 72,830,531 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,275,886,000 after buying an additional 1,147,141 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 10.6% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 65,516,916 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,777,931,000 after buying an additional 6,265,780 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 45,984,718 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,651,383,000 after buying an additional 729,999 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Morgan Stanley grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 22,306,173 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,286,174,000 after buying an additional 335,089 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company's stock.

Altria Group Trading Up 1.6%

MO opened at $74.23 on Friday. The business's 50 day moving average is $71.72 and its 200-day moving average is $67.21. The stock has a market cap of $123.96 billion, a PE ratio of 15.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.45. Altria Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $54.70 and a twelve month high of $75.28.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.23 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.7 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a $1.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.7%. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 88.70%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have commented on MO shares. UBS Group lifted their target price on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Citigroup upped their price objective on Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $70.78.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total transaction of $145,120.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 25,102 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. This trade represents a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total transaction of $418,327.50. Following the sale, the director owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. This represents a 7.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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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