Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Announces Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.02 EPS

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

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 Performance

Shares of MO traded down $2.34 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $60.79. 9,406,976 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 10,350,080. Altria Group has a 1-year low of $50.08 and a 1-year high of $68.60. The stock has a market cap of $102.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.52 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a 50 day moving average of $58.97 and a 200-day moving average of $61.73.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 26th were given a $1.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 26th. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.0%. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 80.92%.

Altria Group News Roundup

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)

Altria Group announced that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Thursday, October 30th that authorizes the company to buyback $2.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 1.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Altria Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 64.7% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 17,702 shares of the company’s stock worth $926,000 after buying an additional 6,954 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 86.3% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 6,361 shares of the company’s stock worth $373,000 after purchasing an additional 2,946 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. increased its position in shares of Altria Group by 6.9% during the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 9,630 shares of the company’s stock worth $565,000 after purchasing an additional 618 shares during the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in Altria Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $178,000. Finally, American Trust acquired a new position in Altria Group in the third quarter valued at about $204,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

About Altria Group

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.