Truist Financial Corp Has $152.52 Million Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Truist Financial Corp raised its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 7.2% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 2,645,203 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 177,949 shares during the quarter. Truist Financial Corp’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $152,522,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MO. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its stake in Altria Group by 286.7% in the third quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 4,479,699 shares of the company’s stock valued at $295,929,000 after acquiring an additional 3,321,262 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its stake in Altria Group by 19.4% in the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 19,567,823 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,285,575,000 after acquiring an additional 3,172,753 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its stake in Altria Group by 438.6% in the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 3,637,678 shares of the company’s stock valued at $209,749,000 after acquiring an additional 2,962,270 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Altria Group by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 160,980,626 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,282,143,000 after acquiring an additional 1,903,530 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Freestone Grove Partners LP acquired a new stake in Altria Group in the third quarter valued at $89,460,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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: Q1 results beat and guidance intact — Altria topped revenue and EPS estimates, cited pricing and cost controls as drivers, and reconfirmed FY2026 EPS guidance, a key reason investors are buying the stock. Altria beats quarterly profit estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Stifel raised its price target to $77 and kept a Buy rating, signaling incremental analyst confidence that supports the rally. Stifel raises PT to $77
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley highlights solid profit momentum and visibility from Altria’s pricing and portfolio; that institutional endorsement helped market sentiment. Morgan Stanley bullish note
• Positive Sentiment: Index/momentum attention — coverage noting an “S&P 500 moment” and recent share-price momentum has likely attracted passive and momentum flows into MO. Altria’s S&P 500 Moment
• Positive Sentiment: Income appeal — MO continues to be featured in low-risk/dividend lists, reinforcing demand from income-focused investors. Low-risk investment list
• Neutral Sentiment: Citigroup raised its target to $70 but kept a Neutral rating — signal of modestly improved fundamentals but still cautious relative to current levels. Citigroup PT update
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate housekeeping: Altria will webcast its 2026 annual meeting — routine disclosure, minimal immediate price impact but relevant for shareholder engagement. Webcast of annual meeting
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation/momentum checks — analysts and media note strong 1‑year and 3‑month returns and mixed earnings expectations; market is re-pricing income story vs. growth risks. Valuation check
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/inflation caution — some analysts warn inflation and macro uncertainty increase downside risk despite the dividend and pricing power; a few commentators downgraded or advocated caution. Inflation and macro risk concerns

Altria Group Stock Performance

NYSE MO opened at $74.37 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $66.70 and a 200-day moving average of $62.65. The stock has a market cap of $124.19 billion, a PE ratio of 15.56, a P/E/G ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 0.48. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $54.70 and a 52-week high of $74.56.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. Altria Group’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.23 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th were paid a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 25th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 88.70%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Altria Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Thursday. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Altria Group presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $69.63.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total transaction of $1,885,743.56. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. This trade represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

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.