Benjamin Edwards Inc. Raises Stock Holdings in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Benjamin Edwards Inc. increased its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 38.3% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 136,333 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 37,782 shares during the period. Benjamin Edwards Inc.’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $9,809,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. GQG Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth $1,806,782,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,104,566,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new position in Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $631,606,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Altria Group by 10.6% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 65,516,916 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,777,931,000 after acquiring an additional 6,265,780 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new position in Altria Group during the second quarter worth about $349,743,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Price Performance

Shares of MO stock opened at $68.68 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $114.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.49, a PEG ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.46. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $54.70 and a 1-year high of $77.06. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $70.10 and its 200-day simple moving average is $68.98.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.50 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.35 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 315.29% and a net margin of 33.99%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.44 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. Analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 earnings per share 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. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a $1.11 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This is an increase from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. This represents a $4.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.5%. Altria Group’s payout ratio is 93.67%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MO has been the topic of several recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. UBS Group upped their target price on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Barclays dropped their price objective on Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, June 21st. Finally, BTIG Research started coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. Five investment 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’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $70.11.

Trending Headlines about 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

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.