Benjamin Edwards Inc. Increases Stock Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• Benjamin Edwards Inc. increased its stake in Altria by 27.9% in Q4 to 71,401 shares, valued at about $4.12 million.
• Altria beat Q1 estimates with revenue up 5.3% and non‑GAAP EPS of $1.32, and it reaffirmed FY2026 guidance of 5.56–5.72 EPS, underpinning the recent share rally.
• Institutional ownership is high at 57.41% with multiple funds (including JPMorgan, Sumitomo Mitsui and Viking) adding shares, while an insider (SVP Charles Whitaker) sold 27,908 shares, trimming his stake by 13.37% (insiders now own 0.10%).

Benjamin Edwards Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 27.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 71,401 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 15,595 shares during the period. Benjamin Edwards Inc.'s holdings in Altria Group were worth $4,117,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. CWA Asset Management Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 8.6% during the 3rd quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 335,418 shares of the company's stock valued at $22,158,000 after buying an additional 26,624 shares during the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 3,522,209 shares of the company's stock valued at $232,677,000 after buying an additional 44,303 shares during the last quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 14.1% during the 4th quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC now owns 202,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,647,000 after buying an additional 25,000 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 7.2% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 12,073,682 shares of the company's stock valued at $797,587,000 after buying an additional 814,665 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Public Sector Pension Investment Board lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 13.7% during the 3rd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 144,725 shares of the company's stock valued at $9,561,000 after buying an additional 17,429 shares during the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Altria Group News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat and guidance reaffirmed: Altria reported revenue up 5.3% and non-GAAP EPS of $1.32 (above consensus), and reiterated FY2026 guidance (5.56–5.72 EPS), which is the core driver of the recent rally. MO Q1 Deep Dive: Smokeable Volume Moderation and Oral Nicotine Innovation Drive Performance
• Positive Sentiment: Broker support after investor meetings: Stifel and Jefferies reaffirmed bullish views (citing pricing strength and growth strategy), lending credibility to management’s execution story. Stifel, Jefferies Back Altria (MO) on Pricing Strength and Growth Strategy
• Positive Sentiment: Pricing-led earnings momentum: Coverage highlights that price increases are sustaining earnings growth and total-return performance, supporting the longer-term income case for investors. Why Shares of Altria Group Soared in April
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum/quality pick thesis: Zacks emphasizes MO as a long-term momentum stock based on style scores, which may attract momentum-focused flows. Why Altria (MO) is a Top Momentum Stock for the Long-Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts generally upbeat but stock has lagged the S&P: Coverage notes analyst optimism despite a year of underperformance, suggesting sentiment is improving but not unanimous. Are Wall Street Analysts Bullish on Altria Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and downside in some price targets: Deutsche Bank raised its target to $66 but kept a Hold rating — implying downside relative to recent levels and signaling mixed analyst conviction. Deutsche Bank Adjusts Altria Group Price Target to $66 from $60; Maintains Hold Rating
• Negative Sentiment: Caution on upside: Some analysts and commentary (24/7 Wall St.) warn that after a sharp rebound the stock may have limited upside from here, which can pressure short-term buyers. Strong Q1 Earnings Lift Altria Stock but Limited Upside Ahead

Altria Group Stock Down 1.4%

Shares of NYSE MO opened at $73.53 on Tuesday. The business's 50 day moving average is $66.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is $62.65. The company has a market cap of $122.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 0.48. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $54.70 and a 12 month high of $74.56.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations 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 period in the previous year, the business posted $1.23 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 25th were paid a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 25th. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 88.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on MO shares. Bank of America boosted their target price on Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Barclays boosted their target price on Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Citigroup boosted their target price on Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday. UBS Group boosted their target price on Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $69.22.

Insider Activity at Altria Group

In related news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total value of $1,885,743.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

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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