First Nebraska Trust Co Purchases 19,921 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• First Nebraska Trust Co. acquired a new stake of 19,921 Altria shares in the third quarter, valued at approximately $1.34 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 57.41% of the company.
• Altria’s latest quarterly results topped estimates, with EPS of $1.52 and revenue of $5.44 billion; revenue rose 1% year over year. The company also raised its quarterly dividend from $1.06 to $1.11 per share, equivalent to an annualized yield of about 5.8% at the article’s quoted share price.
• Analyst sentiment was mixed: the consensus rating was Hold, with a $71.67 price target. Shares opened at $76.78, above that target, while analyst views ranged from UBS’s Buy rating and $83 target to Barclays’ Underweight rating.

First Nebraska Trust Co acquired a new stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 19,921 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,341,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 126,073,166 shares of the company's stock valued at $9,070,964,000 after buying an additional 1,325,175 shares during the period. GQG Partners LLC purchased a new position in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,806,782,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,104,566,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in Altria Group by 1.0% in the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 12,929,142 shares of the company's stock valued at $853,194,000 after acquiring an additional 133,676 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in Altria Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $631,606,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company's stock.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of MO opened at $76.78 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $127.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.73, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.43. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $79.81. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $70.85 and a 200 day moving average price of $68.91.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.01. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 330.66% and a net margin of 34.51%. The company had revenue of $5.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.31 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.45 EPS. Altria Group's revenue for the quarter was up 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.70 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 9th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were paid a dividend of $1.11 per share. This is a positive change from Altria Group's previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $4.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.8%. Altria Group's payout ratio is currently 91.74%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MO has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $79.00 to $83.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, October 30th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Altria Group from $71.00 to $77.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, October 30th. BTIG Research began coverage on shares of Altria Group in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a "neutral" rating for the company. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Altria Group from $58.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Monday, October 12th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $71.67.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Kathryn McQuade acquired 1,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 9th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $67.62 per share, with a total value of $101,430.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 114,929 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,771,498.98. The trade was a 1.32% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Altria’s Q3 results beat expectations: adjusted EPS was $1.52 and revenue was $5.44 billion. The company cited strength in Marlboro and Basic, growing on! nicotine-pouch contributions, and smoke-free momentum; the earnings report also highlighted a raised outlook. MO Q3 deep dive: smoke-free momentum and price discipline drive guidance raise
• Positive Sentiment: A Zacks analysis points to improving momentum and describes Altria as a potential momentum-stock pick. The recent strong share-price performance may support investor interest, though it also raises valuation concerns. What Makes Altria a Strong Momentum Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: Altria filed a universal shelf registration, giving it flexibility to issue debt, warrants, or other securities for refinancing, investment, or general purposes. No specific offering was announced, but future issuance could affect leverage or dilute shareholders, depending on the securities used. Why Did Altria File a Universal Shelf Registration?
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend comparisons continue to emphasize Altria’s high income appeal; one analysis cited a yield around 6.5%. These comparisons may support income-focused demand but are not a new company announcement. Better Dividend Stock: Altria vs. British American Tobacco
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation commentary suggests MO could be about 6% overvalued after its recent run-up. Barclays raised its price target from $58 to $60 but maintained an “underweight” rating, signaling downside risk in its view. Altria Could Be 6% Overvalued

Altria Group Profile

Altria Group, Inc is a U.S.-based consumer products company focused primarily on tobacco, nicotine and related products. Through its operating companies, Altria sells cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, oral tobacco and nicotine products, and electronic vapor products.

Altria's principal cigarette business is Philip Morris USA, whose portfolio includes Marlboro, Parliament and Virginia Slims. Its other major brands include Copenhagen and Skoal moist smokeless tobacco, Black & Mild cigars, on! nicotine pouches and NJOY electronic cigarettes.

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