Patton Fund Management Inc. Has $219,000 Holdings in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• Patton Fund Management cut its stake in Altria by 92.3% in Q4, selling 45,645 shares and leaving 3,793 shares worth about $219,000.
• Altria declared a quarterly dividend of $1.06 per share (annualized $4.24), implying a ~6.5% yield, but the dividend payout ratio is roughly 103%, which raises sustainability concerns.
• Analysts' consensus is a Hold with a consensus target price of $65.88; the stock trades near $64.95 with a P/E of 15.8.

Patton Fund Management Inc. decreased its holdings in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 92.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,793 shares of the company's stock after selling 45,645 shares during the quarter. Patton Fund Management Inc.'s holdings in Altria Group were worth $219,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MO. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 19.4% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 19,567,823 shares of the company's stock worth $1,285,575,000 after purchasing an additional 3,172,753 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 16,705,159 shares of the company's stock worth $1,103,543,000 after purchasing an additional 59,189 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 12,747,828 shares of the company's stock worth $842,122,000 after purchasing an additional 132,846 shares in the last quarter. Capital Research Global Investors grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 12,131,644 shares of the company's stock worth $801,412,000 after purchasing an additional 47,757 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 7.2% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 12,073,682 shares of the company's stock worth $797,587,000 after purchasing an additional 814,665 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently commented on MO. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Argus upgraded Altria Group to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Bank of America raised their price target on Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $65.88.

Altria Group Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of Altria Group stock opened at $64.95 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $66.61 and a 200-day moving average of $62.63. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $54.70 and a 1-year high of $70.51. The company has a market cap of $108.56 billion, a PE ratio of 15.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.41.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.32 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 287.61% and a net margin of 29.84%.The firm had revenue of $5.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.02 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.30 EPS. The business's revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th will be issued a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 25th. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio is 103.16%.

Key Headlines Impacting Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Featured in dividend/high-yield roundups that can support demand from income-focused investors; such coverage helps explain interest in MO among yield-seeking flows. The $40,000 Dividend Raise Hiding in These Four Tickers on a $600k Account
• Positive Sentiment: Positive analyst/author view arguing Wall Street is warming to Altria’s pricing power and new-product potential — could underpin upside if execution continues. Altria: Wall Street Finally Came To Its Senses
• Neutral Sentiment: Company announced it will host a webcast for 2026 first‑quarter results — investors will get direct management commentary; this is the near-term catalyst to watch. Altria to Host Webcast of 2026 First-Quarter Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre-earnings previews expect a marginal rise in EPS this quarter; results (volumes, pricing, margin drivers) will determine near-term moves. What to Expect From Altria Group’s Q1 2026 Earnings Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks notes elevated investor searches and attention — higher retail/institutional focus can mean larger intraday moves around news. Investors Heavily Search Altria Group, Inc. (MO): Here is What You Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Article about Keurig earnings included in the feed but is unrelated to MO; no direct impact. Keurig Gears Up for Q1 Earnings: Key Metrics Investors Should Track
• Negative Sentiment: Critical Seeking Alpha piece argues Altria’s growth runway is constrained and flags balance-sheet/valuation concerns — such narratives can pressure the stock and raise questions about dividend sustainability for some investors. Very Bad News For Altria: This Dividend King Is Running Out Of Runway

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the 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 transaction, the senior vice president owned 180,869 shares of the company's stock, valued at $12,221,318.33. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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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