Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Has $17.43 Million Stock Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• Thrivent Financial for Lutherans more than doubled its Altria position in the fourth quarter, increasing holdings by 124.4% to 302,316 shares worth about $17.43 million.
• Altria remains heavily held by institutions, with firms like Vanguard, Ameriprise, and others also adding stakes; overall, 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
• The company reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings and revenue, and it continues to offer a sizable dividend of $1.06 per share quarterly, or a 5.8% yield.

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 124.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 302,316 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 167,609 shares during the quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans' holdings in Altria Group were worth $17,432,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MO. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 160,980,626 shares of the company's stock valued at $9,282,143,000 after purchasing an additional 1,903,530 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its stake in Altria Group by 19.4% in the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 19,567,823 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,285,575,000 after acquiring an additional 3,172,753 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp increased its stake in Altria Group by 0.4% in the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 16,705,159 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,103,543,000 after acquiring an additional 59,189 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its position in Altria Group by 1.1% in the third 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. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors lifted its stake in Altria Group by 0.4% during the third 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 during the period. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently commented on MO. Bank of America boosted their price target on Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Altria Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday. Jefferies Financial Group increased 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. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, 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, April 30th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $69.33.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MO opened at $73.67 on Tuesday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $54.70 and a 52-week high of $74.56. The stock has a market cap of $123.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.48. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $67.15 and a 200 day moving average price of $63.11.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last posted 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.23 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 88.70%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Altria Group news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total transaction of $1,885,743.56. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. The trade was a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

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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