Truist Financial Corp Has $152.52 Million Stock Holdings in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• Truist Financial increased its stake in Altria by 7.2% in Q4, owning 2,645,203 shares worth about $152.52 million (roughly 0.16% of the company) after buying 177,949 additional shares.
• Altria beat Q1 estimates, reporting $1.32 EPS vs. $1.25 expected and $4.76 billion in revenue, and reconfirmed FY2026 guidance of $5.56–$5.72 per share; the company also pays a $1.06 quarterly dividend (annualized yield ~5.7%).
• Market view is mixed: institutional ownership is about 57.4%, analysts' consensus is a "Hold" with an average target of $69.63 amid several upgrades and downgrades, and an insider recently sold shares reducing their stake.

Truist Financial Corp grew its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 7.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 2,645,203 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 177,949 shares during the period. Truist Financial Corp owned about 0.16% of Altria Group worth $152,522,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of MO. CWA Asset Management Group LLC increased its position in shares of Altria Group by 8.6% during the third quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 335,418 shares of the company's stock worth $22,158,000 after acquiring an additional 26,624 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Altria Group by 1.3% during the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 3,522,209 shares of the company's stock worth $232,677,000 after acquiring an additional 44,303 shares in the last quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC increased its position in shares of 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. increased its position in shares of 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. Finally, Public Sector Pension Investment Board increased its position in shares of 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. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on MO shares. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Altria Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday. 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 research report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $69.63.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the firm'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 completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 180,869 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. This trade 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 is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat and guidance intact — Altria topped revenue and EPS estimates, cited pricing and cost controls as drivers, and reconfirmed FY2026 EPS guidance, a key reason investors are buying the stock. Altria beats quarterly profit estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Stifel raised its price target to $77 and kept a Buy rating, signaling incremental analyst confidence that supports the rally. Stifel raises PT to $77
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley highlights solid profit momentum and visibility from Altria’s pricing and portfolio; that institutional endorsement helped market sentiment. Morgan Stanley bullish note
• Positive Sentiment: Index/momentum attention — coverage noting an “S&P 500 moment” and recent share-price momentum has likely attracted passive and momentum flows into MO. Altria’s S&P 500 Moment
• Positive Sentiment: Income appeal — MO continues to be featured in low-risk/dividend lists, reinforcing demand from income-focused investors. Low-risk investment list
• Neutral Sentiment: Citigroup raised its target to $70 but kept a Neutral rating — signal of modestly improved fundamentals but still cautious relative to current levels. Citigroup PT update
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate housekeeping: Altria will webcast its 2026 annual meeting — routine disclosure, minimal immediate price impact but relevant for shareholder engagement. Webcast of annual meeting
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation/momentum checks — analysts and media note strong 1‑year and 3‑month returns and mixed earnings expectations; market is re-pricing income story vs. growth risks. Valuation check
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/inflation caution — some analysts warn inflation and macro uncertainty increase downside risk despite the dividend and pricing power; a few commentators downgraded or advocated caution. Inflation and macro risk concerns

Altria Group Trading Down 0.2%

Altria Group stock opened at $74.37 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $124.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 0.48. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $54.70 and a 1-year high of $74.56. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $66.70 and a 200 day simple moving average of $62.65.

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, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. The business 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 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.23 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.66 EPS 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 $1.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 25th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.7%. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 88.70%.

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.

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