Altria Group, Inc. $MO Stock Position Lessened by Generali Asset Management SPA SGR

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR cut its holdings in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 11.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 60,470 shares of the company’s stock after selling 8,204 shares during the period. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $4,072,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Procyon Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Altria Group by 59.3% during the 1st quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 38,926 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,569,000 after buying an additional 14,490 shares in the last quarter. Stephens Inc. AR boosted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 8.6% in the 1st quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 266,504 shares of the company’s stock worth $17,696,000 after buying an additional 21,124 shares during the last quarter. Callan Family Office LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,911,000. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC increased its position in shares of Altria Group by 26.9% during the second quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 1,164,691 shares of the company’s stock valued at $83,800,000 after acquiring an additional 246,702 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Waverly Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Altria Group by 21.6% during the first quarter. Waverly Advisors LLC now owns 95,137 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,278,000 after acquiring an additional 16,877 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Altria’s roughly 6% dividend yield remains a key attraction, offering more than twice Coca-Cola’s yield. The company recently delivered its 61st dividend increase in 57 years, reinforcing its status as a long-term income stock. Altria Now Yields Twice as Much as Coca-Cola
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlights Altria’s ability to support dividend growth through cigarette pricing power despite declining U.S. smoking rates. Its relatively low valuation and established cash generation could help limit downside for income-oriented investors. Altria Dividend Analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are awaiting Altria’s October 29 third-quarter report for updated information on sales trends, earnings, guidance, and the company’s growth prospects. The company’s current full-year EPS guidance is $5.61 to $5.72, with analysts expecting approximately $5.67. Altria Earnings Preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains cautious, with sell-side analysts assigning Altria a “Hold” rating. This suggests the stock’s high income potential is balanced against limited growth and tobacco-industry risks. Altria Rated Hold
• Negative Sentiment: Declining smoking rates remain a structural concern, while Treasury yields near 5% make high-yield stocks work harder to justify their risk. A disappointing earnings outlook or weaker-than-expected cigarette volumes could pressure the shares. How Will Altria Stock React to Earnings

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Kathryn McQuade bought 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 9th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $67.62 per share, for a total transaction of $101,430.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 114,929 shares in the company, valued at $7,771,498.98. This represents a 1.32% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Altria Group Stock Down 1.0%

Shares of MO stock opened at $72.77 on Thursday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $70.02 and a 200-day moving average of $68.55. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $54.70 and a 12-month high of $77.06. The firm has a market cap of $121.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.35, a PEG ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.42.

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). Altria Group had a net margin of 33.99% and a negative return on equity of 315.29%. The firm had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.35 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.44 EPS. Altria Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 9th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were given a $1.11 dividend. This is an increase from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. This represents a $4.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 93.67%.

Altria Group Profile

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.