79,946 Altria Group, Inc. $MO Shares Purchased by VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al raised its stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 6.5% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,308,468 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 79,946 shares during the quarter. Altria Group makes up 0.5% of VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al’s holdings, making the stock its 29th largest position. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $88,112,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 126,073,166 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,070,964,000 after buying an additional 1,325,175 shares during the period. GQG Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,806,782,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group in the second quarter worth $1,104,566,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in shares of Altria Group by 1.0% in the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 12,929,142 shares of the company’s stock worth $853,194,000 after acquiring an additional 133,676 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group in the second quarter worth $631,606,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In other Altria Group news, Director Kathryn McQuade acquired 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 9th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $67.62 per share, for a total transaction of $101,430.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 114,929 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,771,498.98. This trade represents a 1.32% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Altria Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 earnings beat expectations: Adjusted EPS rose to $1.52 from $1.45 a year earlier, exceeding the $1.51 consensus estimate. Net revenue, excluding excise taxes, increased 3.6% to $5.44 billion, supported by higher pricing and stronger smokeable-product profits. Altria MO stock is up, what you need to know
• Positive Sentiment: Higher full-year outlook and buybacks: Altria raised its 2026 adjusted EPS guidance after the quarterly beat and expanded its share-repurchase program. The combination of improved earnings visibility and capital returns helped support the bullish investor reaction. MO Q3 Earnings Call Highlights Higher Guidance and Nicotine Strategy
• Positive Sentiment: Core and next-generation products remain supportive: Needham said Altria’s smokeable volumes continue to outperform the broader industry, helped by its portfolio strategy. Management also highlighted growth in nicotine pouches, giving investors an additional source of expansion beyond traditional cigarettes. Altria’s Smokeable Volumes Continue to Outperform Industry, Needham Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation is attracting attention: Some analysis continues to view Altria as undervalued based on its cash-generation and dividend profile, although the stock’s roughly 153% five-year gain means investors are increasingly focused on whether future cash flows justify the higher valuation. Altria Group Stock Still Appears Undervalued Following Its 153% Run
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst target remains a near-term constraint: Morgan Stanley raised its price target from $71 to $77 but maintained an “equal weight” rating, implying limited upside from the current trading level. This suggests some analysts believe the recent rally has already priced in much of the earnings improvement. Morgan Stanley Altria rating

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Altria Group from $71.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday. Barclays lowered their target price on Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Citigroup upped their target price on Altria Group from $70.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday. Freedom Broker raised Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Monday, October 12th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Altria Group presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $71.00.

Altria Group Stock Up 1.7%

NYSE MO opened at $78.03 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $130.29 billion, a PE ratio of 16.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $70.45 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $68.75. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $54.70 and a 12-month high of $79.81.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.01. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.51% and a negative return on equity of 330.66%. The company had revenue of $5.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.31 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.45 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.70 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 9th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th were paid a $1.11 dividend. This represents a $4.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was 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 presently 91.74%.

Altria Group Profile

Altria Group, Inc is a U.S.-based consumer products company focused primarily on tobacco, nicotine and related products. Through its operating companies, Altria sells cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, oral tobacco and nicotine products, and electronic vapor products.

Altria’s principal cigarette business is Philip Morris USA, whose portfolio includes Marlboro, Parliament and Virginia Slims. Its other major brands include Copenhagen and Skoal moist smokeless tobacco, Black & Mild cigars, on! nicotine pouches and NJOY electronic cigarettes.