Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Issues Earnings Results

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The company reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.02), FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $5.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.02 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 37.89% and a negative return on equity of 319.43%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.30 earnings per share.

Here are the key takeaways from Altria Group’s conference call:

• Altria grew adjusted diluted EPS by 4.4% in 2025 and returned about $8 billion to shareholders via $7B of dividends and $1B of buybacks, with $1B of repurchase capacity remaining.
• on! PLUS received FDA marketing-granted orders for select flavors/strengths, shipments resumed in initial states and a national rollout is planned in H1 2026, with Helix expected to remain profitable in 2026 and early consumer feedback favorable.
• Altria recorded a $1.3 billion non-cash impairment on its e-vapor intangible assets and goodwill after persistent illicit flavored disposable e-vapor products and slower-than-expected enforcement created significant headwinds for the e-vapor business.
• 2026 adjusted diluted EPS guidance is $5.56–$5.72 (2.5%–5.5% growth) with growth weighted to H2 as Altria invests $300–$375M in manufacturing/import-export (duty-drawback) capabilities that management says have strong payback potential but raise near-term costs.

Altria Group Stock Down 3.1%

Shares of MO traded down $1.97 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $61.16. The stock had a trading volume of 9,634,187 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,378,315. The company has a market cap of $102.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.67, a P/E/G ratio of 3.52 and a beta of 0.47. Altria Group has a 52 week low of $50.08 and a 52 week high of $68.60. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $58.97 and a 200 day moving average of $61.73.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 9th. Investors of record on Friday, December 26th were issued a $1.06 dividend. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.9%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 26th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 80.92%.

Altria Group declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Thursday, October 30th that permits the company to buyback $2.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to reacquire up to 1.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Key Altria Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company forecasts 2026 profit above analysts’ estimates, citing price increases on cigarettes and oral tobacco that should bolster full‑year earnings. Marlboro-maker Altria forecasts 2026 profit above estimates after price hikes (Reuters)
• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised Altria’s price target and maintained a Buy rating, providing analyst support that can cushion selling pressure. UBS lifts Altria (MO) price target, keeps buy rating
• Positive Sentiment: Management reiterated a goal of “progressive” dividend rate growth, reinforcing income appeal for dividend investors and supporting demand for the stock among yield-focused holders. Altria aims for ‘progressive’ dividend rate growth (Seeking Alpha)
• Neutral Sentiment: Company released its quarterly results and a 2026 guidance package (mixed details across metrics); investors will parse the slide deck and call for incremental color. Altria Reports 2025 Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year Results; Provides 2026 Earnings Guidance (Business Wire)
• Neutral Sentiment: Board expanded and Salvatore Mancuso was added as director and CEO — governance change that may be seen as a continuity/leadership signal but whose impact will depend on execution. Altria Expands Board, Names Mancuso Director and CEO (TipRanks)
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 EPS of $1.30 missed consensus by $0.02 and revenue was essentially flat year-over-year; cigarette shipment volumes declined, weighing on profit and prompting downside near term. Altria (MO) Lags Q4 Earnings Estimates (Zacks)
• Negative Sentiment: Company-filed consolidated financial statements highlighted leverage levels — a reminder that capital structure and cash flow must support dividend and strategy, which could concern some investors. Altria Files 2025 Consolidated Financial Statements Highlighting Leverage (TipRanks)

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Marshall Wace LLP raised its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 286.7% during the third quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 4,479,699 shares of the company’s stock worth $295,929,000 after acquiring an additional 3,321,262 shares during the period. Freestone Grove Partners LP bought a new position in Altria Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $89,460,000. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Altria Group by 13.5% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 5,272,845 shares of the company’s stock valued at $346,373,000 after purchasing an additional 629,031 shares during the period. Man Group plc lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 938.5% in the third quarter. Man Group plc now owns 613,353 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,518,000 after purchasing an additional 554,290 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Altria Group during the second quarter worth about $29,424,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have issued reports on MO shares. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on Altria Group from $65.00 to $72.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 1st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $63.00 to $67.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Argus upgraded Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $63.00.

Altria Group Company 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.