Altria Group, Inc. $MO Stock: Pictet Asset Management Holding SA Lowers Position

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA lowered its stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) by 1.5% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 783,497 shares of the company’s stock after selling 11,655 shares during the quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA’s holdings in Altria Group were worth $52,761,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Leelyn Smith LLC lifted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter. Leelyn Smith LLC now owns 53,071 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,574,000 after acquiring an additional 996 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Altria Group by 1.9% during the third quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 44,752 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,014,000 after acquiring an additional 823 shares during the period. Guidance Capital Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group during the third quarter worth about $183,000. Asset Dedication LLC raised its holdings in Altria Group by 93.4% during the third quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 1,120 shares of the company’s stock worth $75,000 after purchasing an additional 541 shares in the last quarter. Finally, United Advisor Group LLC raised its holdings in Altria Group by 1.6% during the third quarter. United Advisor Group LLC now owns 35,810 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,411,000 after purchasing an additional 565 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Altria’s smokeable business posted a reported 64.5% margin; pricing strength and tax refunds have helped offset lower cigarette volumes and higher manufacturing costs, supporting profit growth. Can Altria’s 64.5% Smokeable Margin Sustain Profit Growth Ahead?
• Positive Sentiment: Commentary highlighted Altria’s roughly 5.7% dividend yield and resilient income profile, noting a $10,000 investment would generate about $568 annually at the cited payout. This may appeal to income-focused investors. Here’s How Much $10,000 in Altria Stock Pays You Each Year
• Positive Sentiment: Altria’s 42% stake in Cronos Group could offer longer-term upside if U.S. cannabis regulations change. The article also points to Cronos’ record results and international expansion, though any U.S. opportunity remains contingent on regulatory developments. One Regulator Could Soon Unlock Altria And Cronos’ Cannabis Fortune
• Neutral Sentiment: Altria appeared in general roundups of high-yield dividend stocks and portfolio strategies. These articles reinforce its visibility among income investors but do not report a new company-specific development. I’d Put $100 Into Each of These 3 Dividend Stocks and Lose the Password
• Negative Sentiment: Altria’s reliance on cigarettes leaves earnings exposed to ongoing volume declines; the cited margin strength depends partly on pricing and tax refunds to counter those declines and manufacturing costs. Can Altria’s 64.5% Smokeable Margin Sustain Profit Growth Ahead?

Altria Group Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of NYSE MO opened at $75.72 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $125.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.43. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $54.70 and a 52 week high of $79.87. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $71.52 and a 200 day moving average price of $69.22.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.01. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.51% and a negative return on equity of 330.66%. The company had revenue of $5.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.31 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.45 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.70 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were paid a dividend of $1.11 per share. 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. This represents a $4.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.9%. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 91.74%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MO has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Monday, October 12th. UBS Group boosted their target price on Altria Group from $79.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 30th. BTIG Research assumed coverage on Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Altria Group from $71.00 to $77.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, October 30th. Finally, Barclays raised their price target on Altria Group from $58.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Monday, November 2nd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $71.67.

Insider Activity at Altria Group

In other news, Director Kathryn McQuade purchased 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 9th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $67.62 per share, with a total value of $101,430.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 114,929 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,771,498.98. The trade was a 1.32% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Altria Group Company Profile

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.