Altria Group, Inc. $MO Stock: SBI Securities Co. Ltd. Increases Stake

SBI Securities Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 2.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 257,599 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,928 shares during the quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $17,347,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. BlackRock Inc. increased its position in Altria Group by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 126,073,166 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,070,964,000 after purchasing an additional 1,325,175 shares during the period. GQG Partners LLC bought a new position in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth $1,806,782,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth $1,104,566,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in shares of Altria Group by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 12,929,142 shares of the company’s stock worth $853,194,000 after purchasing an additional 133,676 shares during the period. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth about $631,606,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other Altria Group news, Director Kathryn McQuade purchased 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 9th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $67.62 per share, for a total transaction of $101,430.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 114,929 shares in the company, valued at $7,771,498.98. The trade was a 1.32% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Altria Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Dividend income remains the primary attraction. Articles highlight Altria’s long-term total returns, which were driven largely by reinvested dividends rather than share-price appreciation. The company continues to be featured among high-yield stocks appealing to retirees and income-focused investors. Altria’s Stock Has a Surprising 10-Year Return. Dividends Tell the Story
• Positive Sentiment: Expectations for the upcoming earnings report are favorable. Zacks coverage says Altria has factors that could support an earnings beat and earnings growth. The company’s current fiscal-year guidance calls for adjusted EPS of $5.61 to $5.72, which may be reinforcing confidence in its cash-generation and dividend capacity. Altria Earnings Expected to Grow
• Positive Sentiment: Sector income-stock momentum is supportive. Altria is included in several lists of stocks offering yields above 6%, keeping the company visible to investors seeking cash returns while bond yields remain elevated. Strong results from rival Philip Morris also provide a constructive read-through for tobacco-sector demand and pricing power. Philip Morris Q3 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and technical momentum are mixed. MO is above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages and near its annual high, but that strength could make the stock more sensitive to profit-taking if earnings or guidance disappoint.
• Negative Sentiment: Long-term business risks remain. Coverage notes declining cigarette volumes, past write-downs and Altria’s weaker position in smoke-free products. These challenges could limit growth and remain important risks despite the company’s attractive dividend.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MO has been the topic of a number of research reports. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Monday, October 12th. Freedom Broker upgraded shares of Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Finally, BTIG Research initiated coverage on shares of Altria Group in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $70.11.

Altria Group Stock Up 3.0%

Shares of MO stock opened at $76.04 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $126.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.04, a PEG ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.42. The business’s fifty day moving average is $69.41 and its 200 day moving average is $69.90. Altria Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $54.70 and a twelve month high of $77.06.

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

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 9th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th were paid a $1.11 dividend. This represents a $4.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 15th. This is a positive change from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 93.67%.

About Altria Group

Altria Group, Inc is a U.S.-based consumer products company focused primarily on tobacco, nicotine and related products. Through its operating companies, Altria sells cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, oral tobacco and nicotine products, and electronic vapor products.

Altria’s principal cigarette business is Philip Morris USA, whose portfolio includes Marlboro, Parliament and Virginia Slims. Its other major brands include Copenhagen and Skoal moist smokeless tobacco, Black & Mild cigars, on! nicotine pouches and NJOY electronic cigarettes.