1,228,522 Shares in Altria Group, Inc. $MO Bought by VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al acquired a new position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 1,228,522 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $88,392,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MO. GQG Partners LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group in the second quarter worth about $1,806,782,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,104,566,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $631,606,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of 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 worth $3,777,931,000 after purchasing an additional 6,265,780 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $349,743,000. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group Trading Down 0.1%

MO opened at $68.80 on Monday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $54.70 and a 12 month high of $77.06. The company has a market cap of $114.88 billion, a PE ratio of 14.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.45. The company has a 50 day moving average of $69.82 and a 200 day moving average of $69.08.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its 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). Altria Group had a net margin of 33.99% and a negative return on equity of 315.29%. The business had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.35 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.44 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a $1.11 dividend. This represents a $4.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.5%. This is a boost from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 89.45%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently commented on MO shares. BTIG Research began coverage on Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. UBS Group raised their target price 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. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. 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 presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.11.

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.