Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd Sells 111,287 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd decreased its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 95.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 5,351 shares of the company’s stock after selling 111,287 shares during the period. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $353,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its holdings in Altria Group by 62.5% in the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 16,395,070 shares of the company’s stock worth $954,446,000 after purchasing an additional 6,302,819 shares in the last quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth about $126,471,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Altria Group by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 159,717,148 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,364,216,000 after acquiring an additional 1,599,923 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its position in Altria Group by 1,094.0% during the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,158,437 shares of the company’s stock valued at $67,919,000 after acquiring an additional 1,061,413 shares during the period. Finally, State Street Corp lifted its position in Altria Group by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 72,367,263 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,315,438,000 after acquiring an additional 886,583 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on MO shares. Argus upgraded shares of Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Altria Group from $63.00 to $67.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 30th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $62.56.

Altria Group Price Performance

Altria Group stock opened at $65.16 on Thursday. Altria Group, Inc. has a one year low of $52.37 and a one year high of $68.60. The business’s fifty day moving average is $59.43 and its 200 day moving average is $61.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $109.38 billion, a PE ratio of 15.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.54 and a beta of 0.47.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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 net margin of 29.84% and a negative return on equity of 287.61%. The company had revenue of $5.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.02 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.30 EPS. The business’s revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 26th were paid a dividend of $1.06 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 26th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.5%. Altria Group’s payout ratio is currently 103.16%.

Altria Group announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback program on Thursday, October 30th that permits the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to reacquire up to 1.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Key Altria Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst bullish case: a Seeking Alpha piece argues MO is an attractive buy given discounted valuation and a ~6.8% dividend yield; highlights robust cash flow and FDA marketing approval for nicotine pouches as upside to future growth. Altria: Embrace Near-Term Uncertainties – Rich Dividends Pending Valuation Upgrading
• Positive Sentiment: Rating upgrade: another Seeking Alpha note reinstated a Buy rating after Q4/FY2025 results, citing clearer earnings/dividend guidance and expected EPS & dividend growth through 2028 — supportive for income investors. Altria: Buy For The Medium Term (Rating Upgrade)
• Positive Sentiment: Pricing-power argument: Zacks notes Altria is using aggressive price increases to offset soft cigarette volumes, which helps preserve margins and near-term cash generation. This supports dividends and valuation resilience. Can Pricing Power Offset Soft Cigarette Volumes at Altria?
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor access: Altria will present at the 2026 CAGNY conference — an opportunity for management to update investors on strategy, the smoke-free pipeline and capital allocation. Altria to Present at the 2026 Consumer Analyst Group of New York Conference
• Neutral Sentiment: Settlement-funds program (third party): Zeptive announced a program to help schools access Juul and Altria settlement funds by 2026 — a public-interest initiative that is not an Altria corporate action but could affect reputational/regulatory context. Zeptive Unveils ‘Settlement-to-Safety’ Program to Maximize Juul and Altria Settlement Funds for Schools by 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Downgrade and structural concerns: a Seeking Alpha downgrade rates MO as Hold, pointing to limited upside at current valuation and slow progress on smoke-free products (smokeable still ~87.5% of revenue; Marlboro share decline), suggesting medium/long-term growth headwinds. Altria Group: The Opportunity Window Has Closed (Rating Downgrade)

Altria Group Company 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.