Waverly Advisors LLC Grows Stock Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Waverly Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 21.6% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 95,137 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 16,877 shares during the period. Waverly Advisors LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $6,278,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Navalign LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC lifted its stake in Altria Group by 62.9% in the fourth quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 510 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new position in Altria Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. UBS Group increased their target price on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, June 21st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.78.

Altria Group Stock Up 2.7%

Shares of MO opened at $74.87 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $71.91 and a 200 day moving average price of $68.09. The company has a market capitalization of $125.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.45. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $54.70 and a 52-week high of $77.06.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The company had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.23 earnings per share. The firm’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. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were given a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 88.70%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total transaction of $145,120.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at $1,821,401.12. This trade represents a 7.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total transaction of $418,327.50. Following the sale, the director owned 73,809 shares in the company, valued at $5,332,700.25. This represents a 7.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Altria Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Altria is being highlighted as a high-shareholder-yield stock. Its investment appeal includes a roughly 5.8% dividend yield, a long record of annual dividend increases, and a valuation of about 13 times forward earnings. 4 High Shareholder Yield Stocks to Buy Amid Rising Uncertainty
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts expect second-quarter sales and earnings growth, with pricing and continued momentum in nicotine pouches potentially offsetting declining cigarette volumes. The earnings release is scheduled for July 30, making expectations a near-term catalyst. Altria Q2 Earnings Coming Up: What Should Investors Expect?
• Positive Sentiment: Altria’s Marlboro leadership, recurring tobacco cash flows and more than 50 consecutive years of dividend increases are reinforcing its reputation as a defensive income stock. Its inclusion in Donald Trump’s disclosed portfolio may also be adding investor visibility and sentiment. Altria Group (MO): A Winner in President Trump’s Stock Portfolio?
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional previews focus on estimates for key second-quarter metrics rather than reporting new company results, so the stock remains exposed to an earnings-driven reaction on July 30. Curious About Altria Q2 Performance?
• Negative Sentiment: The principal operating concern remains falling cigarette volumes. Although pricing and oral nicotine growth may cushion the decline, weaker traditional tobacco consumption could limit longer-term growth and weigh on results if the offset is insufficient. Should You Buy Altria for Its 5.8% Dividend Yield Ahead of July 30 Earnings?

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.