US Bancorp DE Sells 14,073 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Key Points

• US Bancorp DE reduced its stake in Altria by 2.3%, selling 14,073 shares and ending the quarter with 589,761 shares valued at about $34.01 million.
• Altria beat Q1 estimates (EPS $1.32 vs. $1.25; revenue $4.76B vs. $4.58B), reconfirmed FY2026 EPS guidance of 5.560–5.72, and paid a $1.06 quarterly dividend (annualized $4.24, ~5.7% yield).
• Analyst response is mixed but leaning positive: several firms raised price targets to roughly $76–$77 and issued buy notes, though MarketBeat's aggregate rating remains a "Hold" with an average target of $69.63.

US Bancorp DE reduced its stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Free Report) by 2.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 589,761 shares of the company's stock after selling 14,073 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE's holdings in Altria Group were worth $34,006,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. EMC Capital Management acquired a new stake in Altria Group during the 3rd quarter worth $33,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Gould Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group during the 3rd quarter worth $39,000. Finally, Elevation Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in Altria Group by 79.0% during the 4th quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 630 shares of the company's stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 278 shares during the period. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Altria Group Price Performance

MO opened at $74.37 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $66.70 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $62.68. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $54.70 and a 1 year high of $74.56. The company has a market capitalization of $124.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.09, a P/E/G ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.48.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 298.69% and a net margin of 34.34%.The firm had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.23 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th were paid 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 5.7%. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 103.16%.

More Altria Group News

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently commented on MO shares. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Barclays raised their price objective on Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $77.00 price objective on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Thursday. Finally, UBS Group raised their price objective on Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Altria Group presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $69.63.

Insider Activity

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 value of $1,885,743.56. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 180,869 shares of the company's stock, valued at $12,221,318.33. This trade represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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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