Altria Group, Inc. $MO Shares Sold by South Dakota Investment Council

Key Points

• South Dakota Investment Council cut its Altria stake by 74% in the first quarter, selling 53,800 shares and retaining 18,917 shares valued at approximately $1.25 million. Institutional investors collectively own 57.41% of Altria.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: Altria has a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $70.78, despite buy ratings and $77 targets from Stifel Nicolaus and Goldman Sachs.
• Altria offers a substantial 6.2% annualized dividend yield, but its latest quarterly EPS of $1.48 missed estimates by $0.02, while cigarette volumes and oral-tobacco sales weakened amid competitive and inflationary pressures.

South Dakota Investment Council trimmed its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 74.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 18,917 shares of the company's stock after selling 53,800 shares during the quarter. South Dakota Investment Council's holdings in Altria Group were worth $1,248,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in MO. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Altria Group by 1.2% in the fourth 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. State Street Corp boosted its stake in Altria Group by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 72,830,531 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,275,886,000 after purchasing an additional 1,147,141 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Altria Group by 10.6% during 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 purchasing an additional 6,265,780 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 45,984,718 shares of the company's stock worth $2,651,383,000 after buying an additional 729,999 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 22,306,173 shares of the company's stock worth $1,286,174,000 after buying an additional 335,089 shares in the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have commented on MO shares. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $77.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $70.78.

Altria Group Price Performance

Altria Group stock opened at $68.46 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $114.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.45. Altria Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $54.70 and a fifty-two week high of $77.06. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $71.72 and its 200-day simple moving average is $68.30.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.50 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 315.29% and a net margin of 33.99%.The firm had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.35 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.44 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were given a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. Altria Group's payout ratio is presently 89.45%.

Altria Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Altria’s second-quarter adjusted EPS rose from $1.44 to $1.48 year over year, while revenue reached approximately $5.36 billion, slightly above analysts’ expectations. Higher cigarette pricing, particularly for Marlboro, helped offset declining shipment volumes. Altria Group Q2 Adjusted Earnings, Revenue Rise; Fiscal 2026 Adjusted EPS Outlook Narrowed
• Positive Sentiment: The company highlighted expansion of its on! PLUS nicotine pouch brand to roughly 120,000 stores and continued investment in smoke-free products, supporting expectations for long-term category growth. Shareholder returns and resilient cash flow also remain attractive to income-focused investors. Altria Q2 Earnings Call Highlights Smoke-Free Growth Plans
• Neutral Sentiment: Altria narrowed its fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to $5.61-$5.72, broadly surrounding the analyst consensus of $5.68. The revised range offers some earnings visibility but suggests limited near-term upside without stronger volume or smoke-free growth. Altria Group Q2 Adjusted Earnings, Revenue Rise; Fiscal 2026 Adjusted EPS Outlook Narrowed
• Negative Sentiment: Second-quarter EPS of $1.48 missed the $1.50 consensus estimate. Cigarette volumes weakened as inflation encouraged some consumers to trade down from premium Marlboro products, while softer oral-tobacco sales and intensified nicotine-pouch competition pressured results. Altria Q2 Earnings Miss Estimates, Cigarette Volumes Down
• Negative Sentiment: Levi & Korsinsky announced an investigation into whether Altria accurately described the FDA regulatory status of on! PLUS and the prospects for near-term authorization of additional applications. The inquiry adds potential legal and regulatory overhang to the stock. Altria Group Investigation Notice

Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group

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

Altria Group Company 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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