Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Has $276.22 Million Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in Altria Group by 1.2% in Q1, ending with 4.19 million shares valued at about $276.2 million.
• Altria reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $1.32 and revenue of $4.76 billion, both topping analyst estimates. The company also raised its FY 2026 guidance to 5.56–5.72 EPS.
• The company paid a $1.06 quarterly dividend, implying a 5.9% yield, while analysts currently have a mixed view with a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $70.78.

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 1.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,185,108 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 47,822 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned 0.25% of Altria Group worth $276,222,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in Altria Group by 10.6% in the fourth 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 during the period. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its stake in Altria Group by 286.7% during the third quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 4,479,699 shares of the company's stock worth $295,929,000 after buying an additional 3,321,262 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Altria Group by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 160,980,626 shares of the company's stock worth $9,282,143,000 after buying an additional 1,903,530 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia increased its holdings in Altria Group by 301.4% in the 4th quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 2,416,142 shares of the company's stock valued at $139,315,000 after buying an additional 1,814,224 shares during the period. Finally, Panagora Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Altria Group by 4,053.7% in the 4th quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,681,875 shares of the company's stock valued at $96,977,000 after buying an additional 1,641,384 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company's stock.

Altria Group Trading Down 1.0%

NYSE:MO opened at $72.27 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $71.92 and a 200-day moving average of $67.61. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $54.70 and a 1 year high of $75.28. The stock has a market capitalization of $120.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.45.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The firm had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.58 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.23 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Altria Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, June 21st. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Friday, May 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $77.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Five research 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 currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $70.78.

Insider Activity at Altria Group

In other Altria Group news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the 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 transaction, the director directly owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. This trade represents a 7.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of Altria Group 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 of the company's stock, valued at $1,821,401.12. This trade represents a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

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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