Altria Group, Inc. $MO Stock: Ellsworth Advisors LLC Reduces Stake

Key Points

• Ellsworth Advisors cut its Altria stake by 14.3% in the third quarter, selling 18,455 shares and retaining 110,502 shares valued at approximately $7.4 million. Institutional investors collectively own 57.41% of Altria.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed, with five Buy, five Hold and two Sell ratings; the stock has an average Hold rating and a consensus price target of $70.11.
• Altria raised its quarterly dividend to $1.11, equivalent to a 6.0% annualized yield, while its latest earnings slightly missed estimates despite 1.2% year-over-year revenue growth. Shares opened at $73.81, near the upper end of their one-year range.

Ellsworth Advisors LLC reduced its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 14.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 110,502 shares of the company's stock after selling 18,455 shares during the quarter. Altria Group comprises approximately 1.2% of Ellsworth Advisors LLC's holdings, making the stock its 27th largest position. Ellsworth Advisors LLC's holdings in Altria Group were worth $7,441,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MO. GQG Partners LLC purchased a new position in Altria Group during the second quarter valued at $1,806,782,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,104,566,000. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $631,606,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new stake in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $349,743,000. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its stake in Altria Group by 3,691.2% in the 2nd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 3,606,561 shares of the company's stock worth $259,492,000 after purchasing an additional 3,511,430 shares in the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on MO shares. 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. UBS Group raised their price objective on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Barclays reduced their target price on Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Altria Group in a report on Monday. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Altria Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, June 21st. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $70.11.

Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group

In other Altria Group news, Director Kathryn McQuade bought 1,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 9th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $67.62 per share, for a total transaction of $101,430.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 114,929 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,771,498.98. This represents a 1.32% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Altria Group Stock Performance

NYSE MO opened at $73.81 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $123.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.18, a P/E/G ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.42. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $77.06. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $68.50 and a 200-day moving average price of $69.59.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.50 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a net margin of 33.99% and a negative return on equity of 315.29%. The business had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.35 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.44 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter 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, equities analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were issued a $1.11 dividend. This is a boost from Altria Group's previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $4.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.0%. Altria Group's payout ratio is presently 93.67%.

Altria Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and financial commentators highlighted Altria’s approximately 6%–7% dividend yield, backed by established brands, pricing power and cash generation. Dividend income has made a meaningful contribution to total shareholder returns. Better High-Yield Dividend Stock: Altria vs. Clorox
• Positive Sentiment: One valuation analysis argued that Altria could be significantly undervalued based on the cash flow it generates for shareholders, reinforcing the stock’s appeal to income and value investors. Altria Group Stock Could Be 50% Undervalued On Cash Flow
• Positive Sentiment: Altria was included among high-yield stocks viewed as having sufficient cash flow to support their payouts, while consumer-staples shares were described as benefiting from favorable earnings trends and defensive characteristics. These 4 High-Yield Dividend Stocks Have Something Yield Traps Don’t: Cash to Spare
• Neutral Sentiment: Altria will host a webcast covering its 2026 third-quarter and nine-month results, giving investors a near-term catalyst to assess cigarette volumes, pricing, smoke-free product growth and full-year guidance. Altria to Host Webcast of 2026 Third-Quarter and Nine-Months Results
• Negative Sentiment: Exchange-traded funds were reported as net sellers of Altria, creating potential short-term technical pressure despite the stock’s fundamental appeal. ETFs Are Net Sellers of Altria
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary continued to flag secular risks, including declining cigarette consumption and the need for smoke-free products to offset pressure on Altria’s mature tobacco business. Analysts are expecting only single-digit earnings growth ahead of the upcoming report. What You Need To Know Ahead of Altria Group’s Earnings Release

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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