The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Buys 315,892 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its Altria stake by 29.7%, buying 315,892 shares to own 1.38 million shares valued at approximately $99.2 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 57.41% of Altria.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with five Buy, four Hold and two Sell ratings, resulting in a consensus “Hold” rating and a $70.11 target price.
• Altria raised its quarterly dividend to $1.11 per share, equating to a 6.4% annualized yield, while quarterly EPS of $1.48 slightly missed estimates despite revenue rising 1.2% year over year.

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 29.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,379,243 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 315,892 shares during the quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company owned about 0.08% of Altria Group worth $99,237,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 5.8% in the second quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 137,847 shares of the company's stock valued at $9,918,000 after buying an additional 7,550 shares during the period. Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 29.0% during the second quarter. Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC now owns 12,689 shares of the company's stock worth $913,000 after acquiring an additional 2,850 shares during the period. MCF Advisors LLC lifted its position in Altria Group by 15.5% in the 2nd quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 20,471 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,490,000 after acquiring an additional 2,743 shares in the last quarter. Archford Capital Strategies LLC lifted its position in Altria Group by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Archford Capital Strategies LLC now owns 80,096 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,763,000 after acquiring an additional 857 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gemmer Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth $217,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MO has been the subject of a number of research reports. Barclays lowered their target price on Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Wall Street Zen cut Altria Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, June 21st. BTIG Research initiated coverage on Altria Group in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a "neutral" rating for the company. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $70.11.

Altria Group Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of MO stock opened at $69.01 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $54.70 and a 1 year high of $77.06. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $69.41 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $69.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $115.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.56, a PEG ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.45.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.50 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.35 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 315.29% and a net margin of 33.99%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.44 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $1.11 per share. This represents a $4.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.4%. This is a boost from Altria Group's previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Altria Group's payout ratio is currently 93.67%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Kathryn B. Mcquade purchased 1,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 9th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $67.62 per share, for a total transaction of $101,430.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 114,929 shares in the company, valued at $7,771,498.98. This trade represents a 1.32% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Altria Group News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Director Kathryn B. McQuade purchased 1,500 shares of Altria at an average price of $67.62, increasing her direct holdings by 1.32%. The roughly $101,000 insider purchase may signal confidence that the stock’s valuation and dividend remain attractive. SEC insider transaction filing
• Positive Sentiment: Recent investment coverage continues to highlight MO as an income-oriented stock, citing its multidecade record of dividend increases, approximately 6%-plus yield, and relatively attractive valuation. Those features may support demand from retirement and dividend-focused investors. Dividend streak article
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry commentary says Altria and other tobacco companies are responding to declining cigarette volumes and rising costs by expanding smoke-free products and adapting to changing consumer preferences. The strategy offers long-term growth potential, but execution and category adoption remain important risks. Tobacco industry dynamics article
• Negative Sentiment: Seeking Alpha downgraded Altria to Hold, citing technical consolidation below its 50-day moving average and mixed second-quarter results. Smokeable products remained resilient, but oral tobacco revenue fell 5.2% year over year, raising concerns about growth momentum despite the stock’s low forward valuation and high yield. Altria rating downgrade article

Altria Group Company Profile

Altria Group, Inc NYSE: MO is a tobacco and nicotine company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. Through its operating companies, Altria develops, manufactures and markets cigarettes, cigars, oral tobacco products, nicotine pouches and electronic vaping products, with its business focused primarily on the United States.

Altria's smokeable products portfolio includes Marlboro cigarettes, which are manufactured and marketed in the U.S. by Philip Morris USA, as well as Black & Mild cigars through John Middleton.

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