Cullen Capital Management LLC Invests $166.34 Million in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Cullen Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 2,311,947 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $166,345,000. Altria Group accounts for about 1.6% of Cullen Capital Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest holding. Cullen Capital Management LLC owned approximately 0.14% of Altria Group as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Whalen Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in Altria Group during the second quarter worth $352,000. Dearborn Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth $288,000. D.B. Root & Company LLC acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth $260,000. GSG Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth about $227,000. Finally, Asset One Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth about $254,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Altria Group Trading Up 3.6%

NYSE:MO opened at $68.46 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $114.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.46. The company’s 50-day moving average is $70.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is $68.89. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $54.70 and a 12-month high of $77.06.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.35 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 315.29% and a net margin of 33.99%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.44 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on MO shares. Citigroup increased 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. BTIG Research initiated coverage on shares of Altria Group in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, June 21st. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently 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.