Railway Pension Investments Ltd Sells 248,100 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• Railway Pension Investments Ltd reduced its Altria stake by 14.5% in the fourth quarter, selling 248,100 shares and ending with 1,466,800 shares valued at about $84.6 million.
• Altria reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of $1.32 versus $1.25 expected and revenue of $4.76 billion, while also guiding FY 2026 EPS to 5.56-5.72.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.06 per share, equal to an annualized $4.24 and a yield of 6.1%, though the payout ratio is high at 88.7%.

Railway Pension Investments Ltd trimmed its holdings in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 14.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,466,800 shares of the company's stock after selling 248,100 shares during the period. Railway Pension Investments Ltd owned 0.09% of Altria Group worth $84,576,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Viking Fund Management LLC raised its position in Altria Group by 14.1% during the fourth quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC now owns 202,000 shares of the company's stock worth $11,647,000 after acquiring an additional 25,000 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in Altria Group by 7.2% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 12,073,682 shares of the company's stock worth $797,587,000 after acquiring an additional 814,665 shares in the last quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board raised its position in Altria Group by 13.7% during the third quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 144,725 shares of the company's stock worth $9,561,000 after acquiring an additional 17,429 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE raised its position in Altria Group by 3.2% during the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 603,834 shares of the company's stock worth $39,889,000 after acquiring an additional 18,626 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Peterson Wealth Services bought a new stake in Altria Group during the third quarter worth $3,926,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Altria Group Stock Down 3.2%

MO stock opened at $69.63 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $54.70 and a 12 month high of $74.56. The firm has a market cap of $116.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.57, a P/E/G ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.48. The company's 50-day moving average price is $68.21 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $64.02.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last released 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.23 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.1%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 88.70%.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the firm'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 sale, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. This trade represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the firm'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 transaction of $145,120.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. The trade was a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 35,698 shares of company stock worth $2,449,191. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Altria Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 16th. Five 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $70.44.

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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