Altria Group, Inc. $MO Shares Sold by Engineers Gate Manager LP

Engineers Gate Manager LP lessened its holdings in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 60.9% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 55,173 shares of the company’s stock after selling 85,859 shares during the quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $3,970,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA purchased a new stake in Altria Group during the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC raised its stake in Altria Group by 62.9% during the 4th quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 510 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 197 shares in the last quarter. Miller Capital Partners Inc. purchased a new stake in Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Altria Group in the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Director Kathryn B. McQuade purchased 1,500 shares of Altria at an average price of $67.62, increasing her direct holdings by 1.32%. The roughly $101,000 insider purchase may signal confidence that the stock’s valuation and dividend remain attractive. SEC insider transaction filing
• Positive Sentiment: Recent investment coverage continues to highlight MO as an income-oriented stock, citing its multidecade record of dividend increases, approximately 6%-plus yield, and relatively attractive valuation. Those features may support demand from retirement and dividend-focused investors. Dividend streak article
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry commentary says Altria and other tobacco companies are responding to declining cigarette volumes and rising costs by expanding smoke-free products and adapting to changing consumer preferences. The strategy offers long-term growth potential, but execution and category adoption remain important risks. Tobacco industry dynamics article
• Negative Sentiment: Seeking Alpha downgraded Altria to Hold, citing technical consolidation below its 50-day moving average and mixed second-quarter results. Smokeable products remained resilient, but oral tobacco revenue fell 5.2% year over year, raising concerns about growth momentum despite the stock’s low forward valuation and high yield. Altria rating downgrade article

Altria Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MO opened at $69.01 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $69.41 and a 200 day moving average price of $69.11. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $54.70 and a 1-year high of $77.06. The company has a market cap of $115.23 billion, a PE ratio of 14.56, a P/E/G ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.45.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 firm had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.35 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.44 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly 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. Analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $1.11 dividend. This represents a $4.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.4%. 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 presently 89.45%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Altria Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, June 21st. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. BTIG Research assumed coverage on Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Finally, UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $70.11.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Altria Group news, Director Kathryn B. Mcquade acquired 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 9th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $67.62 per share, with a total value of $101,430.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 114,929 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,771,498.98. The trade was a 1.32% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Altria Group

Altria Group, Inc (NYSE: MO) is a tobacco and nicotine company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. Through its operating companies, Altria develops, manufactures and markets cigarettes, cigars, oral tobacco products, nicotine pouches and electronic vaping products, with its business focused primarily on the United States.

Altria’s smokeable products portfolio includes Marlboro cigarettes, which are manufactured and marketed in the U.S. by Philip Morris USA, as well as Black & Mild cigars through John Middleton.