Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Purchases New Shares in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund bought 13,342 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $960,000.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BlackRock Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 126,073,166 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,070,964,000 after buying an additional 1,325,175 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of Altria Group by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 72,830,531 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,275,886,000 after purchasing an additional 1,147,141 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Altria Group by 10.6% in the fourth 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. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Altria Group by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 45,984,718 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,651,383,000 after purchasing an additional 729,999 shares during the period. Finally, GQG Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the second quarter worth $1,806,782,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of Altria Group stock opened at $68.68 on Monday. Altria Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $54.70 and a twelve month high of $77.06. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $70.10 and its 200 day moving average price is $68.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $114.68 billion, a PE ratio of 14.49, a P/E/G ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.46.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.35 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 33.99% and a negative return on equity of 315.29%. Altria Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.44 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $1.11 dividend. This represents a $4.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.5%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This is a boost from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 93.67%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MO has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. BTIG Research started coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. UBS Group increased their price target on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Wall Street Zen cut Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, June 21st. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Altria Group has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.11.

Altria Group News Roundup

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.