New York State Teachers Retirement System Has $86.65 Million Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• New York State Teachers Retirement System trimmed its Altria stake by 3% to 1,502,761 shares, a position worth $86.65 million (about 0.09% of the company).
• Altria beat Q1 expectations—$1.32 EPS vs. $1.25 forecast and $4.76B revenue—gave FY‑2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $5.56–$5.72, its stock rose ~6.4%, and it pays an annualized dividend of 5.8% ($4.24) with a payout ratio around 103%.
• Analyst coverage is mixed (five Buys, four Holds, two Sells) with a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $66.50, while institutional investors hold about 57.4% of the stock.

New York State Teachers Retirement System reduced its stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 3.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,502,761 shares of the company's stock after selling 46,964 shares during the quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System owned about 0.09% of Altria Group worth $86,649,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group in the second quarter valued at $27,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. EMC Capital Management acquired a new position in Altria Group during the third quarter worth $33,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 79.0% in the fourth quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 630 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 278 shares in the last quarter. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group during the second quarter valued at about $39,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently weighed in on MO. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. 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 report on Friday, April 10th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $77.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Argus upgraded Altria Group to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $66.50.

Altria Group News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat on revenue and EPS — Altria reported $1.32 GAAP/non‑GAAP EPS, topping consensus and delivering revenue above estimates as higher cigarette prices more than offset lower unit volumes. The market interpreted this as evidence of persistent pricing power and margin resilience. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: FY‑2026 EPS guidance provided — Management set adjusted diluted EPS of $5.56–$5.72 and said growth should be more balanced between H1 and H2, offering visibility that reduced investor uncertainty around seasonality and cadence of results. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend/cash story and analyst interest — Coverage and bullish write‑ups emphasize steady cash flow, high dividend yield and inclusion in dividend-focused lists, supporting investor demand for yield and income stability. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Full disclosure and detail available — Earnings call transcript, slide deck and summaries were published for investors who want line‑by‑line detail on volumes, pricing, and nicotine products trends. Use these to validate management’s tone. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Wide media and analyst coverage — Multiple outlets (Zacks, Yahoo, Reuters) highlighted the beat and the pricing story; this broad coverage can amplify intraday flows but doesn’t change fundamentals. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Underlying volume declines and competitive pressure — Cigarette shipments fell and Altria flagged tougher competition in nicotine products, a medium‑term risk to revenue growth if pricing elasticity or market share dynamics worsen. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Accounting/metric quirks and returns — Some reports note unusual ROE and other one‑time items; investors should check adjusted vs. GAAP metrics and the impact of buybacks/other items on reported returns. Article Title

Altria Group Trading Up 6.4%

Shares of MO opened at $72.57 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $66.70 and a 200-day moving average price of $62.68. The company has a market cap of $121.28 billion, a PE ratio of 17.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.41. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $54.70 and a 12-month high of $73.85.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last announced 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. Altria Group had a net margin of 29.84% and a negative return on equity of 287.61%. The business had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.23 earnings per share. Altria Group'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. As a group, analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th were given a dividend of $1.06 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 25th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.8%. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 103.16%.

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In other news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total value of $1,885,743.56. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Altria Group

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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