Altria Group, Inc. $MO Shares Sold by Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI

Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI cut its holdings in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 23.1% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 34,443 shares of the company’s stock after selling 10,338 shares during the period. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $1,986,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of MO. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in Altria Group by 64.7% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 17,702 shares of the company’s stock worth $926,000 after buying an additional 6,954 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 86.3% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 6,361 shares of the company’s stock valued at $373,000 after acquiring an additional 2,946 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. increased 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 valued at $565,000 after purchasing an additional 618 shares in the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $346,000. Finally, AXA S.A. purchased a new stake in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter worth $5,752,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have commented on MO shares. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Bank of America upped their target price on Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $77.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Altria Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $69.63.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Altria Group stock opened at $74.37 on Friday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $66.70 and its 200-day simple moving average is $62.67. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $54.70 and a 1 year high of $74.56. The company has a market capitalization of $124.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 0.48.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 298.69% and a net margin of 34.34%.The firm had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.23 EPS. Altria Group’s revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 25th were paid a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 25th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 103.16%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group

In other news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total value of $1,885,743.56. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. This trade represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat and guidance intact — Altria topped revenue and EPS estimates, cited pricing and cost controls as drivers, and reconfirmed FY2026 EPS guidance, a key reason investors are buying the stock. Altria beats quarterly profit estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Stifel raised its price target to $77 and kept a Buy rating, signaling incremental analyst confidence that supports the rally. Stifel raises PT to $77
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley highlights solid profit momentum and visibility from Altria’s pricing and portfolio; that institutional endorsement helped market sentiment. Morgan Stanley bullish note
• Positive Sentiment: Index/momentum attention — coverage noting an “S&P 500 moment” and recent share-price momentum has likely attracted passive and momentum flows into MO. Altria’s S&P 500 Moment
• Positive Sentiment: Income appeal — MO continues to be featured in low-risk/dividend lists, reinforcing demand from income-focused investors. Low-risk investment list
• Neutral Sentiment: Citigroup raised its target to $70 but kept a Neutral rating — signal of modestly improved fundamentals but still cautious relative to current levels. Citigroup PT update
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate housekeeping: Altria will webcast its 2026 annual meeting — routine disclosure, minimal immediate price impact but relevant for shareholder engagement. Webcast of annual meeting
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation/momentum checks — analysts and media note strong 1‑year and 3‑month returns and mixed earnings expectations; market is re-pricing income story vs. growth risks. Valuation check
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/inflation caution — some analysts warn inflation and macro uncertainty increase downside risk despite the dividend and pricing power; a few commentators downgraded or advocated caution. Inflation and macro risk concerns

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.