Prosperitas Financial LLC Buys Shares of 76,848 Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Prosperitas Financial LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor bought 76,848 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,529,000. Altria Group makes up approximately 1.8% of Prosperitas Financial LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest holding.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in Altria Group by 64.7% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 17,702 shares of the company’s stock valued at $926,000 after acquiring an additional 6,954 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its stake in Altria Group by 86.3% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 6,361 shares of the company’s stock worth $373,000 after purchasing an additional 2,946 shares during the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. lifted its stake in Altria Group by 6.9% during the second quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 9,630 shares of the company’s stock worth $565,000 after purchasing an additional 618 shares during the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $346,000. Finally, AXA S.A. acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $5,752,000. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on MO shares. Wall Street Zen lowered Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, June 21st. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price objective on Altria Group in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Citigroup raised their price objective on Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Barclays decreased their target price on Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.11.

Altria Group Price Performance

Shares of Altria Group stock opened at $68.68 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $70.10 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $68.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $114.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.49, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.46. Altria Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $54.70 and a fifty-two week high of $77.06.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.50 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 315.29% and a net margin of 33.99%.The company had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.35 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.44 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue 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, analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a $1.11 dividend. This represents a $4.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This is a boost from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. Altria Group’s payout ratio is currently 89.45%.

Key Stories Impacting Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Altria raised its quarterly dividend 4.7% to $1.11 per share, payable October 9 to shareholders of record September 15. The increase reinforces Altria’s reputation as a high-yield income stock, with an annualized yield of approximately 6.5%, and may be supporting investor demand. Altria Increases Quarterly Dividend to $1.11 Per Share
• Positive Sentiment: The election of Steve Presley to Altria’s board adds a director with extensive consumer-products and business leadership experience. While not an immediate earnings catalyst, the appointment could support oversight and long-term strategic execution. Altria Announces Election of Steve Presley to Altria’s Board of Directors
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary continues to focus on Altria’s valuation, dividend durability and efforts to expand beyond traditional cigarettes. The stock’s roughly 95% five-year gain highlights its strong performance, but also raises questions about how much future growth is already reflected in the price. Altria Stock Looks Reasonably Priced
• Negative Sentiment: The FDA authorized three new JUUL2 e-cigarette products, including flavored pods. The decision validates the regulated nicotine-vapor category but may intensify competition for Altria’s NJOY business and other reduced-risk products, potentially limiting market-share gains. FDA Allows Marketing of Juul’s New E-Cigarettes and Flavored Pods

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.