Altria Holds 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders; Declares Regular Quarterly Dividend of $0.98 Per Share

Rhea-AI Summary

Altria Group (NYSE: MO) held its 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, during which CEO Billy Gifford provided remarks and addressed shareholder questions. Preliminary voting results showed the election of 10 Board nominees, the ratification of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as independent public accountants for 2024, and the approval of executive compensation on an advisory basis. Two shareholder proposals were not approved. Following the meeting, Altria declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.98 per share, payable on July 10, 2024, to shareholders of record as of June 14, 2024, with the ex-dividend date also on June 14, 2024. The company continues to focus on transitioning adult smokers to smoke-free products and holds various equity investments, including in Anheuser-Busch InBev and Cronos Group.

Positive

• Altria declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.98 per share.
• Preliminary voting results showed the election of all 10 Board nominees.
• Ratified PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as independent public accountants for 2024.
• Approved the compensation of named executive officers.
• Focus on transitioning adult smokers to smoke-free products.

Negative

• Two shareholder proposals were not approved.
• Future dividend payments are subject to the Board's discretion.

RICHMOND, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Altria Group, Inc. (Altria) (NYSE: MO) held our 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (Annual Meeting) today. During the Annual Meeting, Billy Gifford, Altria’s Chief Executive Officer, provided brief remarks and addressed shareholder questions. A copy of the presentation and a replay of the webcast are available on www.altria.com.

Preliminary Voting Results

The preliminary voting results from our shareholders at the Annual Meeting were as follows:

• elected to a one-year term each of the 10 nominees for our Board of Directors (Board) named in our 2024 Proxy Statement;
• ratified the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2024;
• approved, on an advisory basis, the compensation of our named executive officers; and
• did not approve two shareholder proposals.

Final voting results will be reported in a Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Regular Quarterly Dividend

Following the Annual Meeting, our Board declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.98 per share, payable on July 10, 2024, to shareholders of record as of June 14, 2024. The ex-dividend date is June 14, 2024. Future dividend payments remain subject to the discretion of our Board.

Altria’s Profile

We have a leading portfolio of tobacco products for U.S. tobacco consumers age 21+. Our Vision is to responsibly lead the transition of adult smokers to a smoke-free future (Vision). We are Moving Beyond Smoking™, leading the way in moving adult smokers away from cigarettes by taking action to transition millions to potentially less harmful choices - believing it is a substantial opportunity for adult tobacco consumers, our businesses and society.

Our wholly owned subsidiaries include leading manufacturers of both combustible and smoke-free products. In combustibles, we own Philip Morris USA Inc. (PM USA), the most profitable U.S. cigarette manufacturer, and John Middleton Co. (Middleton), a leading U.S. cigar manufacturer. Our smoke-free portfolio includes ownership of U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company LLC (USSTC), the leading global moist smokeless tobacco (MST) manufacturer, Helix Innovations LLC (Helix), a leading manufacturer of oral nicotine pouches, and NJOY, LLC (NJOY), currently the only e-vapor manufacturer to receive market authorizations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a pod-based e-vapor product.

Additionally, we have a majority-owned joint venture, Horizon Innovations LLC (Horizon), for the U.S. marketing and commercialization of heated tobacco stick products.

Our equity investments include Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (ABI), the world’s largest brewer, and Cronos Group Inc. (Cronos), a leading Canadian cannabinoid company.

The brand portfolios of our operating companies include Marlboro®, Black & Mild®, Copenhagen®, Skoal®, on!® and NJOY®. Trademarks related to Altria referenced in this release are the property of Altria or our subsidiaries or are used with permission.

Learn more about Altria at www.altria.com and follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook and LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240516067597/en/

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Source: Altria Group, Inc.

FAQ

What is the declared dividend for Altria Group (MO) in 2024?

Altria Group declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.98 per share in 2024.

When is the payable date for Altria's 2024 dividend?

The payable date for Altria's 2024 dividend is July 10, 2024.

What were the preliminary voting results at Altria's 2024 Annual Meeting?

The preliminary voting results included the election of 10 Board nominees, ratification of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, and approval of executive compensation.

When is the ex-dividend date for Altria's 2024 dividend?

The ex-dividend date for Altria's 2024 dividend is June 14, 2024.

Which accounting firm was ratified by Altria for 2024?

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP was ratified as the independent registered public accounting firm for 2024.

How does Altria plan to transition adult smokers?

Altria aims to transition adult smokers to potentially less harmful, smoke-free products.