Nisa Investment Advisors LLC Has $34.92 Million Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 3.6% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 594,510 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 20,863 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $34,916,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Altria Group by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 72,367,263 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,315,438,000 after buying an additional 886,583 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 19.4% in the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 19,567,823 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,285,575,000 after buying an additional 3,172,753 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 0.4% in the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 16,705,159 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,103,543,000 after buying an additional 59,189 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in shares of Altria Group by 1.1% during the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 12,747,828 shares of the company’s stock worth $842,122,000 after acquiring an additional 132,846 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors increased its position in shares of Altria Group by 0.4% during the third quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 12,131,644 shares of the company’s stock worth $801,412,000 after acquiring an additional 47,757 shares in the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MO has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 30th. Citigroup lifted their price target on Altria Group from $57.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. UBS Group boosted their price target on Altria Group from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Argus raised Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Five investment 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $65.75.

Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group

In related news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total value of $1,885,743.56. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 180,869 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. The trade was a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.08% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA pilot authorization and national rollout of on! PLUS nicotine pouches positions Altria in regulated, smoke‑free oral nicotine growth channels — a potential long‑term revenue diversification catalyst. FDA Pilot Approval of on! PLUS Nicotine Pouches Could Be A Game Changer For Altria Group (MO)
• Positive Sentiment: Altria is expanding retail distribution of on! PLUS, supporting near‑term sales momentum for its smoke‑free product push. Altria Group Expands Distribution of on! Plus Nicotine Pouch
• Positive Sentiment: Technical/relative strength signals: Altria earned an 81 RS rating in a recent screen, which can attract momentum and income‑focused buyers. Stocks showing rising market leadership: Altria Group earns 81 RS rating
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend appeal remains strong — coverage in income/dividend screens and commentary about Altria’s high yield supports investor interest in the name as a defensive income stock. Up More Than 12% This Year, Is This Dividend Stock With an Ultra-High Yield a No-Brainer Buy?
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation debates: analysts and commentary are re‑assessing MO’s valuation now that on! PLUS is nationwide; some see a valuation discount driven by legal and category competition risk. Assessing Altria Group’s (MO) Valuation As On! PLUS Nicotine Pouches Roll Out Nationwide
• Negative Sentiment: Major legal overhang: a federal judge allowed antitrust class actions tied to Altria’s past Juul investment to proceed to trial, broadening potential damages exposure and investor uncertainty. This is the primary near‑term negative catalyst pressuring the stock. Altria Faces Juul Antitrust Trials As Valuation Discount Draws Attention
• Negative Sentiment: Underperformance vs. peers and commentary on long‑term product diversification risk (on! still faces stiff competition) add to caution among some investors. Altria Group Inc. stock underperforms Tuesday when compared to competitors The Major Long-Term Risk Facing Altria Stock in 2026

Altria Group Stock Down 1.6%

NYSE MO opened at $65.95 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $65.80 and its 200-day moving average is $62.49. The company has a market capitalization of $110.27 billion, a PE ratio of 16.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 0.45. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $52.82 and a 12-month high of $70.51.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $5.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.02 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 287.61% and a net margin of 29.84%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.30 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th will be issued a $1.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 25th. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.4%. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 103.16%.

About Altria Group

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.