Cullen Capital Management LLC Has $163.88 Million Holdings in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Cullen Capital Management LLC decreased its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 5.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,480,772 shares of the company’s stock after selling 136,831 shares during the period. Altria Group makes up about 1.8% of Cullen Capital Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest holding. Cullen Capital Management LLC owned about 0.15% of Altria Group worth $163,880,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MO. Kercheville Advisors LLC boosted its position in Altria Group by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. Kercheville Advisors LLC now owns 4,397 shares of the company’s stock worth $290,000 after acquiring an additional 156 shares during the last quarter. Founders Grove Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Altria Group by 2.9% in the third quarter. Founders Grove Wealth Partners LLC now owns 5,781 shares of the company’s stock worth $382,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares in the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Altria Group by 4.5% during the second quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,816 shares of the company’s stock worth $224,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares during the last quarter. Bar Harbor Wealth Management grew its position in Altria Group by 3.1% in the second quarter. Bar Harbor Wealth Management now owns 5,656 shares of the company’s stock valued at $332,000 after purchasing an additional 169 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Generali Asset Management SPA SGR increased its stake in Altria Group by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR now owns 50,805 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,356,000 after buying an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst bullish case: a Seeking Alpha piece argues MO is an attractive buy given discounted valuation and a ~6.8% dividend yield; highlights robust cash flow and FDA marketing approval for nicotine pouches as upside to future growth. Altria: Embrace Near-Term Uncertainties – Rich Dividends Pending Valuation Upgrading
• Positive Sentiment: Rating upgrade: another Seeking Alpha note reinstated a Buy rating after Q4/FY2025 results, citing clearer earnings/dividend guidance and expected EPS & dividend growth through 2028 — supportive for income investors. Altria: Buy For The Medium Term (Rating Upgrade)
• Positive Sentiment: Pricing-power argument: Zacks notes Altria is using aggressive price increases to offset soft cigarette volumes, which helps preserve margins and near-term cash generation. This supports dividends and valuation resilience. Can Pricing Power Offset Soft Cigarette Volumes at Altria?
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor access: Altria will present at the 2026 CAGNY conference — an opportunity for management to update investors on strategy, the smoke-free pipeline and capital allocation. Altria to Present at the 2026 Consumer Analyst Group of New York Conference
• Neutral Sentiment: Settlement-funds program (third party): Zeptive announced a program to help schools access Juul and Altria settlement funds by 2026 — a public-interest initiative that is not an Altria corporate action but could affect reputational/regulatory context. Zeptive Unveils ‘Settlement-to-Safety’ Program to Maximize Juul and Altria Settlement Funds for Schools by 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Downgrade and structural concerns: a Seeking Alpha downgrade rates MO as Hold, pointing to limited upside at current valuation and slow progress on smoke-free products (smokeable still ~87.5% of revenue; Marlboro share decline), suggesting medium/long-term growth headwinds. Altria Group: The Opportunity Window Has Closed (Rating Downgrade)

Altria Group Stock Up 1.6%

MO opened at $65.16 on Thursday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $52.37 and a 12-month high of $68.60. The stock has a market cap of $109.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.85, a PEG ratio of 3.54 and a beta of 0.47. The business has a 50 day moving average of $59.43 and a 200-day moving average of $61.89.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.32 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 287.61% and a net margin of 29.84%.The business had revenue of $5.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.02 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.30 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 26th were paid a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 26th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 103.16%.

Altria Group declared that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Thursday, October 30th that authorizes the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to repurchase up to 1.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on MO shares. Argus upgraded shares of Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. UBS Group increased their price target on Altria Group from $63.00 to $67.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Altria Group presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $62.56.

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.