South Dakota Investment Council Has $1.25 Million Stock Position in Altria Group, Inc. $MO

South Dakota Investment Council lowered its position in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 74.0% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 18,917 shares of the company’s stock after selling 53,800 shares during the quarter. South Dakota Investment Council’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $1,248,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 10.6% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 65,516,916 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,777,931,000 after purchasing an additional 6,265,780 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 286.7% in the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 4,479,699 shares of the company’s stock valued at $295,929,000 after buying an additional 3,321,262 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Altria Group by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 160,980,626 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,282,143,000 after buying an additional 1,903,530 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia increased its holdings in Altria Group by 301.4% in the fourth quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 2,416,142 shares of the company’s stock worth $139,315,000 after buying an additional 1,814,224 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Panagora Asset Management Inc. raised its position in Altria Group by 4,053.7% during the fourth quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,681,875 shares of the company’s stock valued at $96,977,000 after acquiring an additional 1,641,384 shares in the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Altria’s second-quarter adjusted EPS rose from $1.44 to $1.48 year over year, while revenue reached approximately $5.36 billion, slightly above analysts’ expectations. Higher cigarette pricing, particularly for Marlboro, helped offset declining shipment volumes. Altria Group Q2 Adjusted Earnings, Revenue Rise; Fiscal 2026 Adjusted EPS Outlook Narrowed
• Positive Sentiment: The company highlighted expansion of its on! PLUS nicotine pouch brand to roughly 120,000 stores and continued investment in smoke-free products, supporting expectations for long-term category growth. Shareholder returns and resilient cash flow also remain attractive to income-focused investors. Altria Q2 Earnings Call Highlights Smoke-Free Growth Plans
• Neutral Sentiment: Altria narrowed its fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to $5.61-$5.72, broadly surrounding the analyst consensus of $5.68. The revised range offers some earnings visibility but suggests limited near-term upside without stronger volume or smoke-free growth. Altria Group Q2 Adjusted Earnings, Revenue Rise; Fiscal 2026 Adjusted EPS Outlook Narrowed
• Negative Sentiment: Second-quarter EPS of $1.48 missed the $1.50 consensus estimate. Cigarette volumes weakened as inflation encouraged some consumers to trade down from premium Marlboro products, while softer oral-tobacco sales and intensified nicotine-pouch competition pressured results. Altria Q2 Earnings Miss Estimates, Cigarette Volumes Down
• Negative Sentiment: Levi & Korsinsky announced an investigation into whether Altria accurately described the FDA regulatory status of on! PLUS and the prospects for near-term authorization of additional applications. The inquiry adds potential legal and regulatory overhang to the stock. Altria Group Investigation Notice

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Altria Group Price Performance

MO stock opened at $68.46 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $114.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.45. The company has a 50-day moving average of $71.72 and a two-hundred day moving average of $68.30. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $54.70 and a 52-week high of $77.06.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 315.29% and a net margin of 33.99%.The business had revenue of $5.36 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.35 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.44 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.610-5.720 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were given a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s payout ratio is currently 89.45%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have issued reports on MO shares. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price 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. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on shares of Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. BTIG Research started coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Finally, Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $70.78.

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.