Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Price Target Raised to $70.00

Key Points

• Citigroup raised its price target on Altria to $70 (from $65) while keeping a "neutral" rating, a level the note says implies roughly a 4.08% downside from the stock's current price.
• Altria beat expectations in Q1 with $1.32 EPS (vs. $1.25 consensus) and $4.76B revenue, and management maintained FY2026 guidance of $5.56–$5.72, citing pricing power that supports margins and dividend reliability.
• The analyst picture is mixed: the consensus rating is Hold with a $69.38 target (five Buys, four Holds, two Sells), while the stock recently traded near $72.98 with a market cap of about $122 billion.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) had its price target boosted by equities researchers at Citigroup from $65.00 to $70.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage presently has a "neutral" rating on the stock. Citigroup's price objective indicates a potential downside of 4.08% from the company's current price.

A number of other brokerages have also commented on MO. Argus upgraded Altria Group to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $77.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday. Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on Altria Group from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Altria Group currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $69.38.

Altria Group Trading Up 0.4%

NYSE MO traded up $0.33 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $72.98. 932,880 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 9,922,467. The stock has a market cap of $121.96 billion, a PE ratio of 17.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.41. Altria Group has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $74.29. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $66.70 and a 200-day moving average of $62.68.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 287.61% and a net margin of 29.84%.Altria Group's revenue for the quarter was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.23 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Altria Group will post 5.61 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Altria Group news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total value of $1,885,743.56. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 180,869 shares of the company's stock, valued at $12,221,318.33. This trade represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Altria Group

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MO. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Navalign LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Hughes Financial Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 62.9% in the 4th quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 510 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 197 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Miller Capital Partners Inc. bought a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the company's stock.

Key Altria Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat: Altria reported $1.32 EPS (above consensus) and revenue ahead of estimates, driven by pricing and Marlboro momentum — a clear catalyst for the stock’s move. Altria beats quarterly profit estimates (Reuters)
• Positive Sentiment: Pricing power lifted sales: Higher cigarette prices offset lower volumes, boosting first‑quarter sales and margins — evidence Altria can pass through price increases to sustain revenue and cash flow. Altria Sales Rise, Boosted by Higher Cigarette Prices (WSJ)
• Positive Sentiment: Management kept FY2026 EPS guidance largely intact (adjusted diluted EPS $5.56–$5.72), providing visibility and supporting dividend reliability expectations. Altria projects 2026 adjusted diluted EPS of $5.56 to $5.72 (Seeking Alpha)
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary and earnings summaries highlight the beat and explain metrics — useful for investors but largely reiterative of results. Altria (MO) Q1 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates (Yahoo Finance)
• Neutral Sentiment: Altria appears on dividend/blue‑chip and “dividend kings” roundups, which can attract income investors over time but don’t move near‑term fundamentals. 5 Quality Passive Income Blue-Chips That All Yield 5% and More Safely (247wallst)
• Negative Sentiment: Volume declines and competitive pressure in nicotine alternatives remain a risk; pricing has offset these so far, but sustained volume weakness or tougher competition could compress growth. MO stock eyes best week in six years; pricing offsets falling cigarette volumes (MSN)

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.

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