CX Institutional Has $8.28 Million Stock Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• CX Institutional boosted its stake in Altria by 11.4% to 143,593 shares, now valued at about $8.28 million per its latest 13F filing, signaling institutional buying interest.
• Altria beat Q1 revenue and EPS estimates and reconfirmed FY2026 guidance (5.560–5.72 EPS), while paying a quarterly dividend of $1.06 (annualized yield ~5.7%).
• Insider and analyst activity: SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares (~$1.89M), insiders own 0.10% of the stock, and analysts hold a mixed view with a MarketBeat consensus rating of "Hold" and a $69.63 target.

CX Institutional boosted its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 11.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 143,593 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 14,700 shares during the period. CX Institutional's holdings in Altria Group were worth $8,280,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. EMC Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 79.0% in the fourth quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 630 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 278 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gould Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $39,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. The trade was a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on MO shares. Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Altria Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $69.63.

Key Altria Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat and guidance intact — Altria topped revenue and EPS estimates, cited pricing and cost controls as drivers, and reconfirmed FY2026 EPS guidance, a key reason investors are buying the stock. Altria beats quarterly profit estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Stifel raised its price target to $77 and kept a Buy rating, signaling incremental analyst confidence that supports the rally. Stifel raises PT to $77
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley highlights solid profit momentum and visibility from Altria’s pricing and portfolio; that institutional endorsement helped market sentiment. Morgan Stanley bullish note
• Positive Sentiment: Index/momentum attention — coverage noting an “S&P 500 moment” and recent share-price momentum has likely attracted passive and momentum flows into MO. Altria’s S&P 500 Moment
• Positive Sentiment: Income appeal — MO continues to be featured in low-risk/dividend lists, reinforcing demand from income-focused investors. Low-risk investment list
• Neutral Sentiment: Citigroup raised its target to $70 but kept a Neutral rating — signal of modestly improved fundamentals but still cautious relative to current levels. Citigroup PT update
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate housekeeping: Altria will webcast its 2026 annual meeting — routine disclosure, minimal immediate price impact but relevant for shareholder engagement. Webcast of annual meeting
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation/momentum checks — analysts and media note strong 1‑year and 3‑month returns and mixed earnings expectations; market is re-pricing income story vs. growth risks. Valuation check
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/inflation caution — some analysts warn inflation and macro uncertainty increase downside risk despite the dividend and pricing power; a few commentators downgraded or advocated caution. Inflation and macro risk concerns

Altria Group Trading Up 2.4%

Shares of MO opened at $74.37 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $124.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.56, a PEG ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 0.48. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $54.70 and a 1-year high of $74.56. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $66.70 and its 200 day simple moving average is $62.67.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.23 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 25th were issued a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 25th. Altria Group's payout ratio is presently 103.16%.

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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