Altria Group, Inc. $MO Holdings Cut by HBW Advisory Services LLC

HBW Advisory Services LLC cut its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 19.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 36,861 shares of the company’s stock after selling 9,155 shares during the period. HBW Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $2,482,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of MO. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in Altria Group by 78.8% in the first quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 524 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 231 shares during the last quarter. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Evolution Advisers Inc. grew its position in Altria Group by 110.9% in the second quarter. Evolution Advisers Inc. now owns 578 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 304 shares during the period. Finally, GK Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Altria Group in the third quarter worth approximately $43,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Altria outperformed a weak market in the latest session, indicating continued demand for its relatively defensive, income-oriented profile. Altria Ascends While Market Falls
• Positive Sentiment: Several dividend-focused articles identify Altria as an attractive high-yield stock because of its approximately 6% yield, established tobacco brands, pricing power and strong cash flow. One screening article specifically emphasizes that Altria’s payout is supported by cash rather than merely a high headline yield. High-Yield Dividend Stocks With Cash to Spare
• Positive Sentiment: Altria’s dividend and cash-generation profile compare favorably with other income stocks, supporting its appeal to investors seeking reliable current income despite modest growth prospects. Altria’s 6.2% Dividend Yield
• Neutral Sentiment: Altria is scheduled to report third-quarter results later this month. Analysts expect single-digit earnings growth, making the report a near-term test of whether pricing and cost controls can offset declining cigarette volumes. Altria Earnings Preview
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish analysis argues that Altria’s rally has moved ahead of underlying earnings growth. The view is that recent EPS support has come partly from tax benefits and discount brands rather than stronger core Marlboro performance; a cited fair value of $63.80 implies downside from current levels. Altria Rally Ahead of Earnings Growth
• Negative Sentiment: Structural risks remain: fewer consumers smoke, and Altria must successfully expand smoke-free products to sustain earnings. This creates concern that the high dividend yield may reflect limited long-term growth as well as income value. Altria Strong Sell Analysis

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of MO opened at $73.05 on Thursday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $68.38 and its 200-day simple moving average is $69.53. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $54.70 and a 1 year high of $77.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $121.98 billion, a PE ratio of 15.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.42.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 business had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.35 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.44 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 9th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were paid a $1.11 dividend. This represents a $4.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.1%. This is a positive change from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 15th. Altria Group’s payout ratio is presently 93.67%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MO has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen cut Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, June 21st. Freedom Broker raised Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. UBS Group increased their price target on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Barclays cut their price objective on Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, BTIG Research assumed coverage on Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They set 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.11.

Insider Activity at Altria Group

In related news, Director Kathryn McQuade acquired 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 9th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $67.62 per share, with a total value of $101,430.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 114,929 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,771,498.98. The trade was a 1.32% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Altria Group Company Profile

Altria Group, Inc is a U.S.-based holding company focused primarily on tobacco and nicotine products. Through its operating companies, Altria manufactures and markets cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, oral nicotine products and electronic cigarettes. Its portfolio includes well-known brands such as Marlboro cigarettes, Copenhagen and Skoal smokeless tobacco, Black & Mild cigars, NJOY e-cigarettes and on! nicotine pouches.

Altria’s principal businesses include Philip Morris USA, the largest U.S.