109,549 Shares in Altria Group, Inc. $MO Acquired by Freestone Grove Partners LP

Freestone Grove Partners LP acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor acquired 109,549 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,882,000.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MO. Odyssean LLC boosted its position in shares of Altria Group by 66.2% during the second quarter. Odyssean LLC now owns 20,851 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,500,000 after purchasing an additional 8,309 shares in the last quarter. Man Group plc acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $30,861,000. Western Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $274,000. Invst LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $335,000. Finally, Councilmark Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $573,000. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Altria raised its quarterly dividend 4.7% to $1.11 per share, payable October 9 to shareholders of record September 15. The increase reinforces Altria’s reputation as a high-yield income stock, with an annualized yield of approximately 6.5%, and may be supporting investor demand. Altria Increases Quarterly Dividend to $1.11 Per Share
• Positive Sentiment: The election of Steve Presley to Altria’s board adds a director with extensive consumer-products and business leadership experience. While not an immediate earnings catalyst, the appointment could support oversight and long-term strategic execution. Altria Announces Election of Steve Presley to Altria’s Board of Directors
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary continues to focus on Altria’s valuation, dividend durability and efforts to expand beyond traditional cigarettes. The stock’s roughly 95% five-year gain highlights its strong performance, but also raises questions about how much future growth is already reflected in the price. Altria Stock Looks Reasonably Priced
• Negative Sentiment: The FDA authorized three new JUUL2 e-cigarette products, including flavored pods. The decision validates the regulated nicotine-vapor category but may intensify competition for Altria’s NJOY business and other reduced-risk products, potentially limiting market-share gains. FDA Allows Marketing of Juul’s New E-Cigarettes and Flavored Pods

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MO has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Citigroup increased their price target on Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Barclays cut their price objective on Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price objective on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.11.

Altria Group Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of NYSE:MO opened at $68.68 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $54.70 and a 12 month high of $77.06. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $70.10 and its 200 day simple moving average is $68.95. The firm has a market cap of $114.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.49, a PEG ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.46.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.50 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.35 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 33.99% and a negative return on equity of 315.29%. The company’s revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.44 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. Research analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $1.11 per share. This is an increase from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. This represents a $4.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Altria Group’s payout ratio is currently 89.45%.

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.