Van ECK Associates Corp Has $1.69 Million Stake in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Van ECK Associates Corp trimmed its stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 42.5% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 23,546 shares of the company’s stock after selling 17,406 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $1,694,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund boosted its position in Altria Group by 7.1% in the fourth quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 668,243 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,531,000 after buying an additional 44,267 shares in the last quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 59.3% in the first quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 38,926 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,569,000 after acquiring an additional 14,490 shares during the last quarter. Rayburn West Financial Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,438,000. North Dakota State Investment Board acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,336,000. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 206.7% in the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 75,573 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,358,000 after acquiring an additional 50,931 shares in the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on MO. UBS Group raised their price target on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. BTIG Research assumed coverage on Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Wall Street Zen cut Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, June 21st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Five investment 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 MarketBeat, Altria Group presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $70.11.

Altria Group Price Performance

MO stock opened at $68.80 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $69.82 and a 200 day moving average price of $69.07. Altria Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $54.70 and a fifty-two week high of $77.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $114.88 billion, a PE ratio of 14.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 0.45.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by ($0.02). The firm 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 firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.44 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. As a group, equities 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. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a dividend of $1.11 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $4.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.5%. This is an increase from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 89.45%.

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.