Mediolanum International Funds Ltd Purchases 21,186 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Mediolanum International Funds Ltd increased its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 5.5% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 408,690 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 21,186 shares during the quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $26,839,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Altria Group in the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Country Trust Bank lifted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 400.0% in the second quarter. Country Trust Bank now owns 500 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares during the period. Anfield Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Altria Group by 334.7% during the 2nd quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 539 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 415 shares during the period. Winnow Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group in the second quarter worth $35,000. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Management says price increases and cost discipline are boosting margins and full‑year profit is forecast above estimates, supporting near‑term cash generation. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Altria keeps returning capital: high dividend (long streak of increases), buybacks and a progressive dividend policy remain central to the investment case and attract income buyers. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Company continues to push smoke‑free products (on! pouches, NJOY integration) and emphasizes innovation to offset falling cigarette volumes — a long‑term growth narrative for investors. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: FY2026 EPS guidance of $5.56–$5.72 is essentially in line with consensus, leaving limited surprise risk but not a clear catalyst to re-rate the shares. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Stifel trimmed its price target from $72 to $68 but maintained a buy rating — shows some analyst support despite tempered upside. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 adjusted EPS of $1.30 missed consensus ($1.32) and cigarette shipment volumes fell ~10%; smokeable revenue pressure and smoke‑free weakness drove the initial selloff. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory, volume trends and company filings highlighting leverage/negative ROE raise longer‑term execution and balance‑sheet scrutiny among some investors. Read More.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Altria Group Stock Up 3.7%

Shares of NYSE MO opened at $61.97 on Friday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $51.30 and a 52-week high of $68.60. The company has a market cap of $104.03 billion, a PE ratio of 15.08, a PEG ratio of 3.29 and a beta of 0.47. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $59.08 and its 200-day moving average price is $61.77.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.02 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.30 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 26th were issued a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 26th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is 80.92%.

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.