Altria Group, Inc. $MO Stock Position Trimmed by Hilltop Holdings Inc.

Hilltop Holdings Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 40.7% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 39,913 shares of the company’s stock after selling 27,361 shares during the period. Hilltop Holdings Inc.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $2,634,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MO. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Navalign LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC boosted its position in shares of Altria Group by 62.9% during the fourth quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 510 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 197 shares during the period. Finally, Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Altria Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Altria is approaching earnings with expectations for higher revenue and year-over-year EPS growth, which supports the case for continued fundamental strength. Altria Group (MO) Nears Earnings, Is The Recent Rally Already Priced In?
• Positive Sentiment: The stock has outperformed over the past year, helped by a strong year-to-date gain and solid total shareholder return, reinforcing momentum around the name. Altria Group (MO) Nears Earnings, Is The Recent Rally Already Priced In?
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple pre-earnings previews say investors should not assume a blowout report, noting Altria does not appear to have the strongest setup for an earnings beat. Altria (MO) Earnings Expected to Grow: What to Know Ahead of Next Week’s Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Shares are being compared with consumer staples peers, with coverage suggesting the stock’s relative performance is a key focus rather than a major new catalyst. Is Altria Group (MO) Stock Outpacing Its Consumer Staples Peers This Year?
• Negative Sentiment: One analyst report downgraded Altria, arguing that the stock’s strong outperformance has made it look expensive, which could pressure valuation sentiment. Altria: Outperformance Makes It Pricey (Rating Downgrade)

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently commented on MO. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price target on Altria Group in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. UBS Group raised their price target on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $70.78.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total value of $418,327.50. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at $5,332,700.25. The trade was a 7.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total value of $145,120.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at $1,821,401.12. The trade was a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Altria Group Trading Up 1.2%

NYSE:MO opened at $72.96 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $54.70 and a twelve month high of $75.28. The company has a 50-day moving average of $71.91 and a 200-day moving average of $67.75. The firm has a market cap of $121.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.45.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The business had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.23 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a $1.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.8%. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 88.70%.

About Altria Group

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.