Horizon Investments LLC Sells 104,203 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• Horizon Investments trimmed its position in Altria by 36.5% in Q4, selling 104,203 shares and leaving it with 180,924 shares valued at about $10.43 million.
• Altria beat Q1 estimates (EPS $1.32 vs. $1.25; revenue $4.76B vs. $4.58B), reconfirmed FY2026 EPS guidance of 5.56–5.72, and pays a quarterly dividend of $1.06 (annualized yield ~5.7%).
• Insider SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares in March, while analysts have raised several price targets amid mixed ratings — the consensus is a "Hold" with an average target of $69.63.

Horizon Investments LLC trimmed its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 36.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 180,924 shares of the company's stock after selling 104,203 shares during the period. Horizon Investments LLC's holdings in Altria Group were worth $10,432,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. One Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Altria Group by 17.0% in the 4th quarter. One Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 11,340 shares of the company's stock worth $654,000 after purchasing an additional 1,647 shares in the last quarter. Robertson Stephens Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Altria Group by 1,053.5% in the 4th quarter. Robertson Stephens Wealth Management LLC now owns 53,167 shares of the company's stock worth $3,122,000 after purchasing an additional 48,558 shares in the last quarter. Verus Financial Partners Inc. grew its position in Altria Group by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Verus Financial Partners Inc. now owns 54,842 shares of the company's stock worth $3,454,000 after purchasing an additional 812 shares in the last quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC grew its position in Altria Group by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 117,998 shares of the company's stock worth $6,804,000 after purchasing an additional 3,570 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Secured Retirement Advisors LLC grew its position in Altria Group by 9.5% in the 4th quarter. Secured Retirement Advisors LLC now owns 7,404 shares of the company's stock worth $427,000 after purchasing an additional 643 shares in the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MO has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Friday. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Altria Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Altria Group currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $69.63.

Altria Group Stock Up 2.4%

MO opened at $74.37 on Friday. The stock 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 twelve month low of $54.70 and a twelve month high of $74.56. The company's 50-day moving average price is $66.70 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $62.67.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The company's quarterly revenue 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, sell-side analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

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

Key Headlines Impacting Altria Group

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

Insider Activity at Altria Group

In related 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 transaction of $1,885,743.56. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Altria Group Company 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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