Barclays PLC Acquires 1,006,300 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• Barclays PLC increased its Altria stake by 16.1% in the fourth quarter, adding 1,006,300 shares and bringing its total holding to 7.27 million shares valued at about $419.2 million.
• Altria reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.32 and revenue of $4.76 billion, both beating analyst estimates. The company also raised its FY2026 EPS guidance to 5.56-5.72.
• The stock remains attractive for income investors, with a quarterly dividend of $1.06 per share and an annualized yield of 5.9%. Analyst sentiment is mixed overall, with an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $70.44.

Barclays PLC boosted its holdings in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 16.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 7,270,524 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 1,006,300 shares during the period. Barclays PLC owned approximately 0.43% of Altria Group worth $419,218,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings 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 worth $3,777,931,000 after purchasing an additional 6,265,780 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP grew its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 286.7% during the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 4,479,699 shares of the company's stock worth $295,929,000 after purchasing an additional 3,321,262 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 19.4% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 19,567,823 shares of the company's stock worth $1,285,575,000 after purchasing an additional 3,172,753 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 438.6% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 3,637,678 shares of the company's stock worth $209,749,000 after purchasing an additional 2,962,270 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 1.2% during the 4th 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 in the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Altria Group Price Performance

Shares of MO stock opened at $71.83 on Friday. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $69.40 and its 200 day simple moving average is $64.92. The firm has a market cap of $119.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.03, a P/E/G ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.46. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $74.56.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 298.69% and a net margin of 34.34%.Altria Group's quarterly revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.23 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a $1.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.9%. Altria Group's payout ratio is currently 88.70%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently weighed in on MO shares. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Altria Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Altria Group has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $70.44.

Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group

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