Empowered Funds LLC Reduces Stock Holdings in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Empowered Funds LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 15.3% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 512,441 shares of the company’s stock after selling 92,839 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $33,816,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Maverick Capital Ltd. raised its stake in Altria Group by 239.2% in the first quarter. Maverick Capital Ltd. now owns 52,322 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,453,000 after buying an additional 36,899 shares during the last quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 26.6% during the first quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 951,085 shares of the company’s stock worth $62,762,000 after acquiring an additional 199,854 shares during the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 32.2% during the first quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 1,088,444 shares of the company’s stock valued at $71,826,000 after acquiring an additional 265,221 shares in the last quarter. Intelligence Driven Advisers LLC increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 18.9% during the first quarter. Intelligence Driven Advisers LLC now owns 7,207 shares of the company’s stock valued at $476,000 after acquiring an additional 1,147 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gateway Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Altria Group by 373.0% in the 1st quarter. Gateway Wealth Partners LLC now owns 27,798 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,834,000 after purchasing an additional 21,921 shares during the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on MO shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, June 21st. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.78.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of MO stock opened at $72.99 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $71.90 and its 200-day simple moving average is $67.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $121.88 billion, a PE ratio of 15.27, a P/E/G ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.45. Altria Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $54.70 and a fifty-two week high of $75.28.

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

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group

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

Altria Group 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.