Altria Group, Inc. $MO Stake Lifted by Farther Finance Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Farther Finance Advisors increased its Altria stake by 17.8% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 143,368 shares valued at approximately $9.65 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 57.41% of Altria.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with five Buy, five Hold and two Sell ratings; Altria has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $70.11.
• Altria raised its quarterly dividend from $1.06 to $1.11 per share, equivalent to a $4.44 annualized payout and a 6.2% yield. The company’s latest quarterly revenue rose 1.2% year over year, though EPS of $1.48 slightly missed estimates.

Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 17.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 143,368 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 21,679 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC's holdings in Altria Group were worth $9,654,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its position in Altria Group by 78.8% during the first quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 524 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 231 shares during the period. Evolution Advisers Inc. lifted its stake in Altria Group by 110.9% in the second quarter. Evolution Advisers Inc. now owns 578 shares of the company's stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 304 shares during the last quarter. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Abound Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on MO shares. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. BTIG Research began coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a "neutral" rating on the stock. Freedom Broker raised shares of Altria Group to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $70.11.

Altria Group Price Performance

NYSE:MO opened at $71.64 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $119.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.42. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $68.15 and its 200 day moving average price is $69.33. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $54.70 and a 1-year high of $77.06.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last announced 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.35 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.44 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 9th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th were issued a dividend of $1.11 per share. This is an increase from Altria Group's previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. This represents a $4.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 93.67%.

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In other news, Director Kathryn McQuade acquired 1,500 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 9th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $67.62 per share, for a total transaction of $101,430.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 114,929 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,771,498.98. This trade represents a 1.32% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Altria Group

Altria Group, Inc is a U.S.-based holding company focused primarily on tobacco and nicotine products. Through its operating companies, Altria manufactures and markets cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, oral nicotine products and electronic cigarettes. Its portfolio includes well-known brands such as Marlboro cigarettes, Copenhagen and Skoal smokeless tobacco, Black & Mild cigars, NJOY e-cigarettes and on! nicotine pouches.

Altria's principal businesses include Philip Morris USA, the largest U.S.

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