Altria Group, Inc. $MO Shares Bought by Flputnam Investment Management Co.

Flputnam Investment Management Co. lifted its stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 200.0% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 36,769 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 24,514 shares during the period. Flputnam Investment Management Co.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $2,646,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in MO. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in Altria Group by 64.7% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 17,702 shares of the company’s stock valued at $926,000 after purchasing an additional 6,954 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 86.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 6,361 shares of the company’s stock worth $373,000 after buying an additional 2,946 shares in the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 6.9% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 9,630 shares of the company’s stock worth $565,000 after buying an additional 618 shares in the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the second quarter valued at $346,000. Finally, AXA S.A. bought a new position in Altria Group during the second quarter valued at about $5,752,000. 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: 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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have commented on MO shares. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, June 21st. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. BTIG Research initiated coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Finally, UBS Group upped their price target on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.11.

Altria Group Trading Up 0.0%

NYSE MO opened at $68.68 on Monday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $54.70 and a 1 year high of $77.06. The company has a market cap of $114.68 billion, a PE ratio of 14.49, a PEG ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.46. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $70.10 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $68.98.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.35 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.44 earnings per share. The business’s 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. Research analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current fiscal 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 paid a dividend of $1.11 per share. This is an increase from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $4.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.5%. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 93.67%.

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.