Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Twelve analysts give Altria a consensus recommendation of Hold (2 sell, 5 hold, 5 buy) with an average 1‑year price target of $69.22.
• Altria beat Q1 estimates—non‑GAAP EPS $1.32 vs $1.25 and revenue $4.76B vs $4.58B—and reiterated FY2026 guidance of 5.56–5.72 EPS.
• The company pays a quarterly dividend of $1.06 (annualized $4.24), yielding about 5.8% while carrying a high payout ratio (~88.7%).

Shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) have received an average recommendation of "Hold" from the twelve analysts that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $69.2222.

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Argus raised Altria Group to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Altria Group from $68.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Altria Group from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday. Citigroup upped their price objective on Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price objective on Altria Group in a research report on Friday.

Altria Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MO opened at $73.53 on Tuesday. The business's 50 day moving average is $66.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is $62.65. Altria Group has a 1-year low of $54.70 and a 1-year high of $74.56. The stock has a market capitalization of $122.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.38, a PEG ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 0.48.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 298.69% and a net margin of 34.34%.The company had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.58 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.23 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Altria Group will post 5.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th were given a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 25th. Altria Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 88.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group

In other news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total transaction of $1,885,743.56. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,221,318.33. This trade represents a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Altria Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MO. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Altria Group by 10.6% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 65,516,916 shares of the company's stock worth $3,777,931,000 after purchasing an additional 6,265,780 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP increased its holdings in Altria Group by 286.7% during the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 4,479,699 shares of the company's stock worth $295,929,000 after purchasing an additional 3,321,262 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its holdings in Altria Group by 19.4% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 19,567,823 shares of the company's stock worth $1,285,575,000 after purchasing an additional 3,172,753 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its holdings in Altria Group by 438.6% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 3,637,678 shares of the company's stock worth $209,749,000 after purchasing an additional 2,962,270 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Altria Group by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 160,980,626 shares of the company's stock worth $9,282,143,000 after purchasing an additional 1,903,530 shares during the period. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat and guidance reaffirmed: Altria reported revenue up 5.3% and non-GAAP EPS of $1.32 (above consensus), and reiterated FY2026 guidance (5.56–5.72 EPS), which is the core driver of the recent rally. MO Q1 Deep Dive: Smokeable Volume Moderation and Oral Nicotine Innovation Drive Performance
• Positive Sentiment: Broker support after investor meetings: Stifel and Jefferies reaffirmed bullish views (citing pricing strength and growth strategy), lending credibility to management’s execution story. Stifel, Jefferies Back Altria (MO) on Pricing Strength and Growth Strategy
• Positive Sentiment: Pricing-led earnings momentum: Coverage highlights that price increases are sustaining earnings growth and total-return performance, supporting the longer-term income case for investors. Why Shares of Altria Group Soared in April
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum/quality pick thesis: Zacks emphasizes MO as a long-term momentum stock based on style scores, which may attract momentum-focused flows. Why Altria (MO) is a Top Momentum Stock for the Long-Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts generally upbeat but stock has lagged the S&P: Coverage notes analyst optimism despite a year of underperformance, suggesting sentiment is improving but not unanimous. Are Wall Street Analysts Bullish on Altria Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and downside in some price targets: Deutsche Bank raised its target to $66 but kept a Hold rating — implying downside relative to recent levels and signaling mixed analyst conviction. Deutsche Bank Adjusts Altria Group Price Target to $66 from $60; Maintains Hold Rating
• Negative Sentiment: Caution on upside: Some analysts and commentary (24/7 Wall St.) warn that after a sharp rebound the stock may have limited upside from here, which can pressure short-term buyers. Strong Q1 Earnings Lift Altria Stock but Limited Upside Ahead

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.

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