Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp Sells 31,959 Shares of Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp trimmed its stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 4.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 758,804 shares of the company’s stock after selling 31,959 shares during the quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $50,127,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Altria Group in the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Country Trust Bank increased its position in Altria Group by 400.0% in the second quarter. Country Trust Bank now owns 500 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 334.7% in the second quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 539 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 415 shares during the period. Winnow Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth $39,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Investors are chasing yield: coverage highlights a ~7% dividend and frames MO as an attractive income play, supporting buying interest in the stock. Altria Yield at 7%, and the Stock Is Rising
• Positive Sentiment: Short-term price momentum: recent reports note MO is outperforming the market and closing higher on the trading day, reinforcing positive technical/flow dynamics. Altria (MO) Surpasses Market Returns
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings backdrop supportive: previews suggest Wall Street expects earnings growth and the company may have the elements for an earnings beat, which can lift sentiment into the report. Altria (MO) Reports Next Week
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend comparison pieces and analyst notes (e.g., vs. Coca?Cola) keep the stock in income-focused conversations — helpful for steady demand but not a catalyst alone. Altria vs. Coca-Cola
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple outlets flag MO as a trending/actively watched stock and publish valuation/income analyses—useful for context but mixed in directional impact. Altria Is a Trending Stock Assessing Altria Valuation
• Neutral Sentiment: Reminder: the company is scheduled to report earnings soon — date reminders and previews can increase trading volume and volatility around the release. Altria Expected to Announce Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Fundamental caution: coverage warns that past missteps and year?over?year revenue declines could limit upside and justify the low price, tempering longer?term conviction. Altria: Is This High-Yield Dividend Stock Too Cheap to Ignore?

Altria Group Stock Up 1.5%

MO stock opened at $61.92 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $58.69 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $61.62. Altria Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $50.08 and a twelve month high of $68.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $103.95 billion, a PE ratio of 11.82, a PEG ratio of 3.43 and a beta of 0.47.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $1.45 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $5.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.31 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 37.89% and a negative return on equity of 319.43%. Altria Group’s revenue was down 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.38 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.370-5.45 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group declared that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Thursday, October 30th that allows the company to buyback $2.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to purchase up to 1.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 26th were given a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.8%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 26th. Altria Group’s payout ratio is 80.92%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MO has been the topic of a number of research reports. Argus upgraded Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. UBS Group upgraded shares of Altria Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the company from $61.00 to $63.00 in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 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. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $62.56.

Altria Group 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.