Cullen Capital Management LLC Has $163.88 Million Stake in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

Cullen Capital Management LLC lowered its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 5.2% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 2,480,772 shares of the company’s stock after selling 136,831 shares during the quarter. Altria Group accounts for 1.8% of Cullen Capital Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest holding. Cullen Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $163,880,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the second quarter worth $27,000. Country Trust Bank raised its stake in Altria Group by 400.0% in the 2nd quarter. Country Trust Bank now owns 500 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Altria Group by 334.7% in the 2nd quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 539 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 415 shares during the period. Winnow Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $39,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Altria Group News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst bullish case: a Seeking Alpha piece argues MO is an attractive buy given discounted valuation and a ~6.8% dividend yield; highlights robust cash flow and FDA marketing approval for nicotine pouches as upside to future growth. Altria: Embrace Near-Term Uncertainties – Rich Dividends Pending Valuation Upgrading
• Positive Sentiment: Rating upgrade: another Seeking Alpha note reinstated a Buy rating after Q4/FY2025 results, citing clearer earnings/dividend guidance and expected EPS & dividend growth through 2028 — supportive for income investors. Altria: Buy For The Medium Term (Rating Upgrade)
• Positive Sentiment: Pricing-power argument: Zacks notes Altria is using aggressive price increases to offset soft cigarette volumes, which helps preserve margins and near-term cash generation. This supports dividends and valuation resilience. Can Pricing Power Offset Soft Cigarette Volumes at Altria?
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor access: Altria will present at the 2026 CAGNY conference — an opportunity for management to update investors on strategy, the smoke-free pipeline and capital allocation. Altria to Present at the 2026 Consumer Analyst Group of New York Conference
• Neutral Sentiment: Settlement-funds program (third party): Zeptive announced a program to help schools access Juul and Altria settlement funds by 2026 — a public-interest initiative that is not an Altria corporate action but could affect reputational/regulatory context. Zeptive Unveils ‘Settlement-to-Safety’ Program to Maximize Juul and Altria Settlement Funds for Schools by 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Downgrade and structural concerns: a Seeking Alpha downgrade rates MO as Hold, pointing to limited upside at current valuation and slow progress on smoke-free products (smokeable still ~87.5% of revenue; Marlboro share decline), suggesting medium/long-term growth headwinds. Altria Group: The Opportunity Window Has Closed (Rating Downgrade)

Altria Group Trading Up 1.6%

MO stock opened at $65.16 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $109.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.54 and a beta of 0.47. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $52.37 and a 12 month high of $68.60. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $59.43 and a 200-day moving average price of $61.89.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $5.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.02 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 29.84% and a negative return on equity of 287.61%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.30 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Thursday, October 30th that permits the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to reacquire up to 1.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 26th were paid a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 26th. Altria Group’s payout ratio is presently 103.16%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MO has been the subject of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $63.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Argus raised shares of Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 30th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $62.56.

About Altria Group

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.