27,051 Altria Group, Inc. $MO Shares Sold by Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lowered its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 4.0% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 652,908 shares of the company’s stock after selling 27,051 shares during the quarter. Altria Group comprises about 0.5% of Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund’s holdings, making the stock its 25th largest position. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $43,967,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of MO. Cortland Associates Inc. MO boosted its position in shares of Altria Group by 1.2% in the third quarter. Cortland Associates Inc. MO now owns 11,079 shares of the company’s stock worth $746,000 after acquiring an additional 131 shares during the last quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its holdings in Altria Group by 5.8% in the first quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 2,619 shares of the company’s stock valued at $191,000 after purchasing an additional 143 shares during the period. Riverbend Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Altria Group by 1.8% during the third quarter. Riverbend Wealth Management LLC now owns 8,194 shares of the company’s stock worth $552,000 after purchasing an additional 143 shares during the last quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC increased its position in Altria Group by 1.3% during the second quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC now owns 11,239 shares of the company’s stock worth $821,000 after purchasing an additional 146 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Griffith & Werner Inc. increased its position in Altria Group by 3.0% during the third quarter. Griffith & Werner Inc. now owns 5,085 shares of the company’s stock worth $342,000 after purchasing an additional 146 shares during the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Altria Group News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Altria’s quarterly dividend is $1.11 per share, or $4.44 annualized, following a 4.7% increase in August—its 61st increase in 57 years. The payout is about 78% of the midpoint of 2026 earnings guidance, a level that supports the income-investment case while leaving less room for earnings setbacks. Article: Altria Yields Nearly 6%. Here’s Why I’d Buy It for a Lifetime of Passive Income.
• Positive Sentiment: The smokeable business reportedly retains a 64.5% margin, with pricing strength and tax refunds offsetting lower cigarette volumes and higher manufacturing costs. This profitability helps underpin earnings and dividend capacity. Article: Can Altria’s 64.5% Smokeable Margin Sustain Profit Growth Ahead?
• Neutral Sentiment: Altria’s 42% stake in Cronos Group could offer upside if U.S. cannabis regulations eventually allow entry, but that opportunity depends on regulatory change and is not an immediate earnings driver. Article: One Regulator Could Soon Unlock Altria And Cronos’ Cannabis Fortune
• Negative Sentiment: Several articles highlight that a yield near 6% warrants scrutiny: high yields can reflect share-price weakness, and Altria’s roughly 78% earnings payout leaves the dividend exposed if profits or cash flow weaken. Falling cigarette volumes and the need to sustain pricing add to that risk. Article: Is Altria’s 5.8% Dividend Yield Too Good to Be True Heading Into 2027?

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Altria Group news, Director Kathryn McQuade purchased 1,500 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 9th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $67.62 per share, with a total value of $101,430.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 114,929 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,771,498.98. This represents a 1.32% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Altria Group Price Performance

Altria Group stock opened at $76.25 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $126.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.43. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $54.70 and a 12 month high of $79.87. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $71.68 and its 200-day moving average is $69.30.

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

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 9th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were given a dividend of $1.11 per share. This represents a $4.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.8%. This is a positive change from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 91.74%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MO has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. BTIG Research started coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. Freedom Broker raised shares of Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $70.00 to $72.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 30th. UBS Group upped their price objective on Altria Group from $79.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Altria Group from $71.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, October 30th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $71.67.

About Altria Group

Altria Group, Inc. is a U.S.-based tobacco and nicotine company whose businesses focus primarily on the domestic market. Its products include cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, cigars, oral nicotine products and e-vapor products. Altria’s portfolio includes Marlboro cigarettes, made by Philip Morris USA; Copenhagen and Skoal smokeless tobacco products, made by U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company; and products from John Middleton and Helix Innovations. The company also owns NJOY, an e-vapor brand. The company was established as Philip Morris Companies Inc. and adopted the Altria name in 2003.