Hourglass Capital LLC Takes Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Hourglass Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 9,900 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $571,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. CWA Asset Management Group LLC lifted its holdings in Altria Group by 8.6% in the third 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. boosted its position in shares of Altria Group by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 3,522,209 shares of the company’s stock worth $232,677,000 after purchasing an additional 44,303 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in shares of Altria Group by 7.2% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 12,073,682 shares of the company’s stock worth $797,587,000 after purchasing an additional 814,665 shares in the last quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC increased its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 25,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Silver Oak Securities Incorporated increased its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 18,997 shares in the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Altria Group Trading Up 2.8%

Shares of NYSE MO opened at $66.46 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $111.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.17, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.45. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $52.82 and a 52 week high of $70.51. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $65.60 and its 200 day moving average price is $62.54.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.32 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 287.61% and a net margin of 29.84%.The business had revenue of $5.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.02 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.30 EPS. The business’s revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th will be issued a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.4%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 25th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is 103.16%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently commented on MO. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Argus raised shares of Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Citigroup boosted their price target on Altria Group from $57.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on Altria Group from $47.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Altria Group currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $65.11.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $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 available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.08% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA pilot authorization and national rollout of on! PLUS nicotine pouches expands Altria’s smoke‑free product presence and gives the company an FDA‑cleared next‑gen oral nicotine product to sell nationwide—this supports revenue diversification beyond combustibles and is being cited as a primary catalyst. Altria Expands On! PLUS As FDA Pilot Nod Meets Valuation Debate
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call‑option buying has been reported, indicating speculative or institutional bullish positioning that can amplify near‑term share gains. Traders Purchase Large Volume of Call Options on Altria Group (NYSE:MO)
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentary note tobacco names (including MO) are showing resilience by growing smoke‑free portfolios and adapting to consumer shifts—this sector-level stability supports investor confidence. 3 Tobacco Stocks Showing Resilience Amid Market Headwinds
• Neutral Sentiment: MO continues to attract income investors: it appears in recent roundups of high‑yield S&P 500 stocks, which can support steady demand from dividend‑focused buyers even if growth is limited. 22 S&P 500 Stocks Yield More Than 5%. 6 That Are Worth Buying.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market roundups and same‑day coverage (Zacks, The Motley Fool, Yahoo) note MO’s outperformance while broader indexes slipped—these are summaries of intraday drivers rather than new company fundamentals. Why the Market Dipped But Altria (MO) Gained Today Why Altria Stock Closed Up Today
• Negative Sentiment: Some coverage highlights a valuation debate—questions whether the stock already prices in the yield and the new product’s upside—suggesting upside could be capped until the market sees sustained sales/profit gains from on! PLUS. Altria Expands On! PLUS As FDA Pilot Nod Meets Valuation Debate

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.