Geode Capital Management LLC Has $2.65 Billion Stake in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• Geode Capital Management increased its Altria stake by 1.6% in the fourth quarter, ending with 45.98 million shares valued at about $2.65 billion.
• Altria reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of $1.32 on revenue of $4.76 billion, and raised its FY 2026 guidance to $5.56-$5.72 EPS.
• The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $1.06 per share, implying a 5.9% annualized yield, while analysts currently rate the stock a consensus Hold with a $70.44 target price.

Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 1.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 45,984,718 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 729,999 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC owned approximately 2.74% of Altria Group worth $2,651,383,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of MO. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in shares of Altria Group by 64.7% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 17,702 shares of the company's stock worth $926,000 after purchasing an additional 6,954 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 86.3% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 6,361 shares of the company's stock worth $373,000 after buying an additional 2,946 shares during the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 6.9% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 9,630 shares of the company's stock worth $565,000 after buying an additional 618 shares during the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the second quarter worth approximately $346,000. Finally, AXA S.A. bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the second quarter worth approximately $5,752,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Altria Group news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total value of $1,885,743.56. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 180,869 shares of the company's stock, 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MO opened at $72.19 on Thursday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $54.70 and a 52 week high of $74.56. The company has a market capitalization of $120.55 billion, a PE ratio of 15.10, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $68.02 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $63.89.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 EPS 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 the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.23 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 88.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on MO. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Altria Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 16th. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Five 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 MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $70.44.

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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