Gateway Wealth Partners LLC Increases Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• Gateway Wealth Partners increased its Altria stake by 373% in the first quarter, bringing its holdings to 27,798 shares valued at approximately $1.83 million. Institutional investors collectively own 57.41% of Altria.
• Altria’s quarterly dividend is $1.06 per share, or $4.24 annually, representing a 5.7% yield and an 88.7% payout ratio. The company’s latest quarterly earnings and revenue exceeded analyst expectations.
• Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $70.78, while the stock recently traded at $74.87. Investors are watching the July 30 earnings report, with cigarette-volume declines remaining a key risk despite pricing gains and growth in oral nicotine products.

Gateway Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 373.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 27,798 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 21,921 shares during the period. Gateway Wealth Partners LLC's holdings in Altria Group were worth $1,834,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Weiss Asset Management LP purchased a new position in Altria Group during the first quarter worth approximately $4,314,000. Cypress Capital Group grew its holdings in Altria Group by 3.1% in the 1st quarter. Cypress Capital Group now owns 75,064 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,953,000 after buying an additional 2,247 shares in the last quarter. Van Diest Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 1st quarter worth $380,000. Waverly Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Altria Group by 21.6% in the 1st quarter. Waverly Advisors LLC now owns 95,137 shares of the company's stock worth $6,278,000 after acquiring an additional 16,877 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Alliance LLC increased its stake in shares of Altria Group by 22.9% in the 1st quarter. Wealth Alliance LLC now owns 22,889 shares of the company's stock worth $1,510,000 after acquiring an additional 4,260 shares during the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

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

More Altria Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Altria is being highlighted as a high-shareholder-yield stock. Its investment appeal includes a roughly 5.8% dividend yield, a long record of annual dividend increases, and a valuation of about 13 times forward earnings. 4 High Shareholder Yield Stocks to Buy Amid Rising Uncertainty
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect second-quarter sales and earnings growth, with pricing and continued momentum in nicotine pouches potentially offsetting declining cigarette volumes. The earnings release is scheduled for July 30, making expectations a near-term catalyst. Altria Q2 Earnings Coming Up: What Should Investors Expect?
• Positive Sentiment: Altria’s Marlboro leadership, recurring tobacco cash flows and more than 50 consecutive years of dividend increases are reinforcing its reputation as a defensive income stock. Its inclusion in Donald Trump’s disclosed portfolio may also be adding investor visibility and sentiment. Altria Group (MO): A Winner in President Trump’s Stock Portfolio?
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional previews focus on estimates for key second-quarter metrics rather than reporting new company results, so the stock remains exposed to an earnings-driven reaction on July 30. Curious About Altria Q2 Performance?
• Negative Sentiment: The principal operating concern remains falling cigarette volumes. Although pricing and oral nicotine growth may cushion the decline, weaker traditional tobacco consumption could limit longer-term growth and weigh on results if the offset is insufficient. Should You Buy Altria for Its 5.8% Dividend Yield Ahead of July 30 Earnings?

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on MO. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Altria Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, June 21st. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $70.78.

Altria Group Stock Up 2.7%

Shares of Altria Group stock opened at $74.87 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $125.02 billion, a PE ratio of 15.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.45. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $54.70 and a 52 week high of $77.06. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $71.91 and its 200-day simple moving average is $68.09.

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

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were given a dividend of $1.06 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.7%. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 88.70%.

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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