RNC Capital Management LLC Grows Stake in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• RNC Capital Management boosted its stake in Altria by 1.5% to 1,062,550 shares (about $61.3M), making MO its 10th largest holding and ~2.8% of the firm's portfolio.
• Q1 beat and guidance: Altria topped EPS and revenue estimates for Q1, reaffirmed FY‑2026 guidance of $5.56–$5.72 EPS, and pays a $4.24 annualized dividend (~5.8% yield) with an 88.7% payout ratio.
• Insider sale and analyst view: SVP Charles Whitaker sold 27,908 shares (~$1.89M), reducing insider ownership to 0.10%, while analysts hold a consensus "Hold" rating with a $69.22 price target (mixed buy/hold/sell opinions).

RNC Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 1.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,062,550 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 15,246 shares during the quarter. Altria Group makes up approximately 2.8% of RNC Capital Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest holding. RNC Capital Management LLC owned about 0.06% of Altria Group worth $61,267,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Altria Group by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 160,980,626 shares of the company's stock worth $9,282,143,000 after purchasing an additional 1,903,530 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 19.4% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 19,567,823 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,285,575,000 after buying an additional 3,172,753 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 16,705,159 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,103,543,000 after buying 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% in 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 buying an additional 132,846 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors raised its stake 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 acquiring an additional 47,757 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.41% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In other Altria Group news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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 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 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 owned by corporate insiders.

Altria Group Stock Down 1.4%

Shares of NYSE MO opened at $73.53 on Tuesday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $54.70 and a 52 week high of $74.56. The business's 50 day moving average price is $66.70 and its 200 day moving average price is $62.65. The firm has a market cap of $122.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 0.48.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 company had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.23 EPS. Altria Group's revenue for the quarter 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. As a group, research analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 30th. Investors 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 payout ratio is currently 88.70%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MO has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price target on Altria Group in a research report on Friday. Argus upgraded Altria Group to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded 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, five have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Altria Group has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $69.22.

Altria Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and guidance reaffirmed — Analysts and coverage note Altria’s strong Q1 results (EPS/revenue beat) and reaffirmed FY guidance, which lifted the stock and underpins the recent rebound. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Price hikes driving earnings — Coverage highlights that Altria’s pricing actions are materially contributing to steady earnings growth, helping total returns and investor momentum. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum appeal — Zacks and other momentum-focused writeups flag MO as attractive to momentum and income investors given rising earnings, dividend yield and recent trend strength. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst tone — Some coverage notes that while analysts are “fairly upbeat” about prospects, Altria has underperformed the S&P 500 over the past year; sentiment is constructive but tempered. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Watchability/valuation debate — Pieces asking “Is Altria worth watching?” weigh steady cash flow and yield against valuation and regulatory/volume risks — useful framing but not a clear near-term catalyst. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Consensus rating = Hold — Aggregated analyst ratings remain a consensus "Hold," which limits bullish conviction and can cap rerating potential. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Price target friction — Deutsche Bank raised its PT to $66 but kept a "Hold" rating; that PT is below the current trading level, implying limited upside/downside risk if analysts stick to conservative targets. Read More.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.