Kentucky Retirement Systems lifted its MO stock position by 55.9% in the first quarter after buying 59,213 additional shares of Altria Group. The filing left the fund with 165,124 shares worth $10,897,000, a size that puts the move in the same range as its other institutional peers in the stock.
59,213 shares was the entire added block behind the increase, and the new holding value of $10,897,000 gives a clean snapshot of how much capital the fund had tied to Altria Group at quarter-end. Institutional investors owned 57.41% of the stock, so this was not an isolated trade; it came alongside other position changes across the shareholder base.
Altria Group, Inc. at $75.03
On Thursday, Altria Group opened at $75.03, near a 52-week range of $54.70 to $77.06. The shares also carried a market cap of $125.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70, a beta of 0.45, a fifty-day moving average of $71.95, and a 200-day moving average of $68.23.
During the first quarter, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its stake in Altria Group by 5.8%, while Patten Group Inc. raised its position by 4.0%. During the fourth quarter, Johnson & White Wealth Management LLC increased its position by 1.2%, Kanawha Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings by 0.8%, and Strategic Advisors LLC lifted its holdings by 2.0%.
EPS of $1.32 and $4.76 billion
On Thursday, April 30th, Altria Group reported quarterly EPS of $1.32, topping the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. Revenue came in at $4.76 billion, up 5.3% from the same quarter last year, which gives the stock’s recent ownership shifts a backdrop of earnings that were ahead of expectations rather than merely flat.
On Friday, July 10th, Altria Group paid its quarterly dividend after shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a $1.06 dividend. That payment works out to a $4.24 annualized dividend and a 5.7% yield, with a payout ratio of 88.70%.
Ellen R. Strahlman sells 2,000 shares
Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of Altria Group stock while several institutions increased their Altria Group positions. The contrast leaves Kentucky Retirement Systems’ first-quarter buying looking like part of a broader ownership shift, but one that was not shared by every holder at the same time.
For readers tracking MO stock, the practical takeaway is narrow and concrete: the first-quarter filing added 59,213 shares to one institutional stake, the dividend has already been paid, and the latest earnings beat is already in the price history. Why Kentucky Retirement Systems increased its Altria Group position by 55.9% in the first quarter is still the open question.
