Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 5.610-5.720 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 5.680. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Altria Group Trading Down 9.2%

MO traded down $6.91 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $68.01. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 21,325,134 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,305,638. Altria Group has a 1 year low of $54.70 and a 1 year high of $77.06. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $71.83 and its 200-day moving average is $68.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $113.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.23, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.45.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.50 by ($0.02). Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The business had revenue of $5.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.35 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.44 earnings per share. Altria Group’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. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Altria Group will post 5.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were given a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 88.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on MO shares. Barclays boosted their target price on Altria Group from $63.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. BTIG Research assumed coverage on Altria Group in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on Altria Group from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $70.78.

Insider Activity at Altria Group

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

Key Altria Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted EPS increased 4.9% year over year to $1.48, supported by pricing in smokeable products. Revenue rose 1.2% to approximately $5.36 billion, narrowly exceeding analysts’ expectations. Altria Group Q2 Adjusted Earnings, Revenue Rise; Fiscal 2026 Adjusted EPS Outlook Narrowed
• Positive Sentiment: The company expanded its On! nicotine-pouch distribution to 120,000 stores, highlighting continued investment in smoke-free products and long-term category growth. Altria Group Q2 2026 Earnings Call Highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Altria maintained fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance at $5.61-$5.72, but the narrower range provides limited upside relative to the $5.68 analyst consensus and underscores a cautious outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly EPS of $1.48 missed the $1.50 consensus estimate. The shortfall contributed to investor concerns that operating momentum is weakening. Altria Group Earnings Report
• Negative Sentiment: Cigarette shipment volumes declined as inflation and weaker consumer spending pushed some smokers toward lower-priced products, pressuring premium brands such as Marlboro.
• Negative Sentiment: Softer oral-tobacco performance and intensified competition in nicotine pouches offset some cigarette-related gains. Management also cited consumer trade-downs, raising concerns about growth and margins in Altria’s smoke-free transition. Altria Profit Falls on Softer Oral-Tobacco Performance

Institutional Trading of Altria Group

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of MO. Claris Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $224,000. TMB Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Altria Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $270,000. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in Altria Group by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 11,916,401 shares of the company’s stock valued at $687,100,000 after buying an additional 80,585 shares during the last quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Altria Group by 29.8% in the fourth quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC now owns 45,764 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,639,000 after acquiring an additional 10,500 shares during the period. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its position in Altria Group by 7.4% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 616,167 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,528,000 after acquiring an additional 42,584 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

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.