Bank of Montreal Can Buys 300,037 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• Bank of Montreal Can raised its stake in Altria by 13.1%, buying 300,037 shares to hold 2,598,605 shares worth about $171.7 million (roughly 0.15% of the company).
• Altria announced a quarterly dividend of $1.06 (annualized $4.24) for a yield of about 6.3%, but the dividend payout ratio is roughly 103%, signaling potential sustainability concerns.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed—UBS raised its price target to $74 and reiterated a Buy, yet the consensus rating remains a "Hold" with an average target near $65, and Altria recently missed EPS by $0.02 with revenue down 0.5% year‑over‑year.

Bank of Montreal Can grew its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 13.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,598,605 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 300,037 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can owned 0.15% of Altria Group worth $171,664,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 62.5% in the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 16,395,070 shares of the company's stock worth $954,446,000 after purchasing an additional 6,302,819 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Altria Group by 1.0% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 159,717,148 shares of the company's stock valued at $9,364,216,000 after buying an additional 1,599,923 shares during the period. Barclays PLC grew its position in Altria Group by 24.9% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 6,264,224 shares of the company's stock worth $413,815,000 after buying an additional 1,249,525 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP grew its position in Altria Group by 1,094.0% during the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,158,437 shares of the company's stock worth $67,919,000 after buying an additional 1,061,413 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp increased its stake in Altria Group by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 72,367,263 shares of the company's stock worth $4,315,438,000 after acquiring an additional 886,583 shares during the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target on MO to $74 and reiterated a Buy, giving investors a clearer upside case that likely supports the stock’s uptick. UBS Raises Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks published a note highlighting Altria as a strong momentum stock, reinforcing the view that earnings/flows and defensive rotation are supporting shares. Zacks Momentum Note
• Positive Sentiment: MarketBeat and other outlets are featuring Altria as a high-yield, defensive income pick amid market volatility—supporting demand from income-focused investors. MarketBeat High-Yield Feature
• Positive Sentiment: Analyses (Seeking Alpha, 247WallSt) reiterate Altria’s durable cash flow and 6%-plus dividend yield, keeping it on radar as a defensive income play versus bonds. Seeking Alpha: Smoking's Not Dead
• Neutral Sentiment: Company dividend details (quarterly $1.06; ex-dividend March 25) underpin yield attraction, but payout ratio >100% is a noted sustainability caveat. MarketBeat Dividend Analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst landscape: several firms boosted targets while others remain cautious; consensus is still around “Hold,” so upgrades are not yet consensus-driven. Analyst Coverage Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: SVP Charles Whitaker sold ~27,908 shares (~$1.9M) recently, trimming his stake ~13% — a short-term negative signal that some investors may note. Insider Sale Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Recent quarterly results modestly missed EPS expectations and showed slight revenue decline YoY, reminders of demand pressures and regulatory risk that could cap multiple expansion. Earnings & Fundamentals

Altria Group Price Performance

NYSE:MO opened at $67.08 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $112.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.32, a PEG ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 0.45. The business has a 50 day moving average of $63.63 and a 200 day moving average of $62.57. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $52.82 and a 1-year high of $70.51.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.32 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a net margin of 29.84% and a negative return on equity of 287.61%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.30 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 25th will be given a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.3%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 25th. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 103.16%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total transaction of $1,885,743.56. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. This trade represents a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.08% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have weighed in on MO shares. Barclays raised their price target on Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday. Argus upgraded shares of Altria Group to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 30th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $65.11.

Altria Group 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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