Altria Group, Inc. $MO Shares Sold by Renaissance Technologies LLC

Renaissance Technologies LLC decreased its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 20.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 1,676,500 shares of the company’s stock after selling 443,500 shares during the quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $110,632,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in MO. Bollard Group LLC grew its stake in Altria Group by 17.7% during the 1st quarter. Bollard Group LLC now owns 58,350 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,851,000 after buying an additional 8,771 shares during the last quarter. Compound Planning Inc. lifted its stake in Altria Group by 8.9% in the first quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 28,074 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,853,000 after buying an additional 2,305 shares during the last quarter. Klingman & Associates LLC lifted its stake in Altria Group by 2.2% in the first quarter. Klingman & Associates LLC now owns 11,351 shares of the company’s stock valued at $749,000 after buying an additional 246 shares during the last quarter. Keebeck Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the first quarter valued at approximately $268,000. Finally, Dickmeyer Boyce Financial Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the first quarter valued at approximately $312,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

More Altria Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Altria is approaching earnings with expectations for higher revenue and year-over-year EPS growth, which supports the case for continued fundamental strength. Altria Group (MO) Nears Earnings, Is The Recent Rally Already Priced In?
• Positive Sentiment: The stock has outperformed over the past year, helped by a strong year-to-date gain and solid total shareholder return, reinforcing momentum around the name. Altria Group (MO) Nears Earnings, Is The Recent Rally Already Priced In?
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple pre-earnings previews say investors should not assume a blowout report, noting Altria does not appear to have the strongest setup for an earnings beat. Altria (MO) Earnings Expected to Grow: What to Know Ahead of Next Week’s Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Shares are being compared with consumer staples peers, with coverage suggesting the stock’s relative performance is a key focus rather than a major new catalyst. Is Altria Group (MO) Stock Outpacing Its Consumer Staples Peers This Year?
• Negative Sentiment: One analyst report downgraded Altria, arguing that the stock’s strong outperformance has made it look expensive, which could pressure valuation sentiment. Altria: Outperformance Makes It Pricey (Rating Downgrade)

Insider Transactions at Altria Group

In other Altria Group news, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total transaction of $145,120.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 25,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. The trade was a 7.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total value of $418,327.50. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 73,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,332,700.25. This trade represents a 7.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MO has been the topic of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $77.00 price target on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. BTIG Research began coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $70.78.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of MO opened at $72.96 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $121.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.26, a P/E/G ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.45. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $54.70 and a 1 year high of $75.28. The company’s fifty day moving average is $71.91 and its two-hundred day moving average is $67.75.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The business’s revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.23 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.7 EPS for the current year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 88.70%.

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.