Principal Financial Group Inc. Increases Stock Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 3.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,911,401 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 59,140 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $110,211,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. EMC Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group in the third quarter worth $33,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Altria Group by 79.0% in the fourth quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 630 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 278 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gould Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the third quarter valued at $39,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Altria Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong Q1 results and product mix shift — Altria reported higher revenue and EPS year-over-year, highlighted growing oral-nicotine pouch sales and reiterated shareholder returns via dividends and buybacks, which drove a recent rally. Why Altria (MO) Is Up 7.4% After Strong Q1 Earnings And Rising Oral Nicotine Sales
• Positive Sentiment: Growth narrative reinforced — analysts and screens (Zacks style scores) are pointing to Altria’s combination of stable cash flow, margin strength and secular growth from new oral-nicotine offerings as drivers of multi-factor investor interest. Here’s Why Altria (MO) is a Strong Growth Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend appeal highlighted — recent articles include Altria in coverage of dependable dividend names, reinforcing its income-investor appeal and supporting the case for longer-term buy-and-hold holders. These 3 Dividend Stocks Have Raised Their Payouts for a Combined 187 Years. Here’s Why That Matters To Passive Income Lovers
• Neutral Sentiment: Trending/attention signals — Zacks flagged MO as a trending ticker, meaning higher retail attention which can amplify intraday moves but is not a directional fundamental change. Altria Group, Inc. (MO) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Neutral Sentiment: Relative sector performance discussion — coverage comparing Altria to consumer-staples peers highlights that MO has outperformed parts of the sector this year, which helps explain rotation and re-rating debate among investors. Are Consumer Staples Stocks Lagging Altria Group (MO) This Year?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage / reports — recent analyst reports and research notes (Argus, Yahoo finance aggregation) provide updated models but no major consensus upgrade, so coverage is steady but not strongly bullish. Analyst Report: Altria Group Inc
• Negative Sentiment: Street stance is cautious — consensus analyst rating around “Hold” signals limited near-term upgrade momentum, which can cap gains after earnings-driven rallies and contribute to today’s pullback. Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) Given Consensus Rating of “Hold” by Analysts
• Neutral Sentiment: Various watchlist pieces weigh pros/cons — opportunistic coverage asks whether MO is “worth watching” now; useful for framing risk/reward but not a direct catalyst. Is Altria Stock Worth Watching Right Now

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently weighed in on MO shares. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. UBS Group boosted their price target on Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, 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 note on Wednesday, March 4th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Altria Group presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $69.22.

Altria Group Price Performance

NYSE MO opened at $70.26 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $117.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.70, a P/E/G ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.48. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $54.70 and a 12 month high of $74.56. The company has a 50-day moving average of $66.83 and a 200-day moving average of $62.74.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The business had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.58 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.23 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th were paid a dividend of $1.06 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 25th. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.0%. Altria Group’s payout ratio is currently 88.70%.

Insider Activity at Altria Group

In related news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the 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 transaction, the senior vice president directly 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.