VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al Invests $88.39 Million in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al acquired a new stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 1,228,522 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $88,392,000. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al owned 0.07% of Altria Group at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MO. BlackRock Inc. lifted its stake in Altria Group by 1.1% in the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 126,073,166 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,070,964,000 after buying an additional 1,325,175 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 72,830,531 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,275,886,000 after buying an additional 1,147,141 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 10.6% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 65,516,916 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,777,931,000 after buying an additional 6,265,780 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Altria Group by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 45,984,718 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,651,383,000 after acquiring an additional 729,999 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GQG Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,806,782,000. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE:MO opened at $68.80 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $114.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.51, a PEG ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.45. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $54.70 and a 12-month high of $77.06. The business’s 50 day moving average is $69.82 and its 200 day moving average is $69.08.

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 the consensus estimate of $5.35 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.44 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. As a group, equities research 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. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a $1.11 dividend. This is an increase from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. This represents a $4.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.5%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 89.45%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on MO shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, June 21st. Finally, BTIG Research started coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.11.

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.