State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D Trims Holdings in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D reduced its stake in Altria by 2.7%, selling 15,921 shares in Q4 and leaving 574,932 shares valued at about $33.15 million.
• Altria beat Q1 estimates with $1.32 EPS (consensus $1.25) and $4.76 billion revenue (consensus $4.58 billion), with management citing pricing power/Marlboro strength and reaffirming FY‑2026 EPS guidance of 5.560–5.72.
• The company paid a $1.06 quarterly dividend (annualized $4.24) for a 5.8% yield

State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D reduced its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 2.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 574,932 shares of the company's stock after selling 15,921 shares during the period. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D's holdings in Altria Group were worth $33,151,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MO. CWA Asset Management Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 8.6% in the 3rd quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 335,418 shares of the company's stock valued at $22,158,000 after acquiring an additional 26,624 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 3,522,209 shares of the company's stock valued at $232,677,000 after acquiring an additional 44,303 shares during the period. Viking Fund Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 14.1% in the 4th quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC now owns 202,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,647,000 after acquiring an additional 25,000 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 7.2% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 12,073,682 shares of the company's stock valued at $797,587,000 after acquiring an additional 814,665 shares during the period. Finally, Silver Oak Securities Incorporated raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 155.4% in the 3rd quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 31,220 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,062,000 after acquiring an additional 18,997 shares during the period. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Altria Group Stock Performance

MO opened at $72.57 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $66.70 and a 200-day moving average of $62.68. The company has a market capitalization of $121.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.66, a PEG ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.41. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $54.70 and a 1-year high of $73.85.

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, topping the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 29.84% and a negative return on equity of 287.61%. The company's revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.23 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th were given a $1.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 25th. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.8%. Altria Group's payout ratio is presently 103.16%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group

In other news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the senior vice president owned 180,869 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. The trade was a 13.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — Altria reported $1.32 EPS (above consensus) and revenue that topped estimates, which investors are citing as the primary catalyst for the rally. Altria beats quarterly profit estimates (Reuters)
• Positive Sentiment: Pricing power and Marlboro momentum drove results — management said higher cigarette pricing and strong Marlboro performance offset volume declines, supporting margin and cash flow expectations. What's Going On With Altria Group Stock On Thursday? (Benzinga)
• Positive Sentiment: Income appeal reinforced — Altria was highlighted as a reliable dividend payer/dividend‑king candidate, which supports demand from yield‑focused investors. Want $1,307 in Passive Income? Invest $10,000 Into These 3 Dividend Kings (247WallSt)
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish analyses surfaced — retail/independent analysts published bullish theses highlighting valuation and cash‑flow strengths, which may attract additional buyers. Is Altria Group, Inc. (MO) A Good Stock To Buy Now? (Yahoo)
• Neutral Sentiment: FY‑2026 guidance reaffirmed — Altria set EPS guidance of 5.560–5.72, which management says is intact; the range is roughly in line with Street forecasts but leaves some dispersion for investors to debate. Altria Reports 2026 First-Quarter Results; Reaffirms Full-Year Guidance (Press Release/Slide Deck)
• Neutral Sentiment: Full earnings materials and call transcript available — investors can review the conference call and transcript for details on combustibles trends, JUUL/next‑gen strategy, and cost initiatives. Altria Group, Inc. (MO) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript (Seeking Alpha)
• Negative Sentiment: Volume declines and competitive pressure remain a risk — management acknowledged declining cigarette volumes and tougher competition in nicotine products, which are structural challenges that could weigh on future topline if pricing cannot fully compensate. Altria beats quarterly profit estimates (Reuters)

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Bank of America raised 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. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $77.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Thursday. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $66.50.

Altria Group 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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