Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Price Target Raised to $77.00

Key Points

• Morgan Stanley raised Altria’s price target to $77 from $71 while maintaining an “equal weight” rating, implying approximately 1.87% downside from the stock’s cited price of $78.47.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: Altria has an average “Hold” rating and a consensus price target of $70.78, with five Buy, six Hold and two Sell ratings.
• Altria’s latest quarterly results slightly exceeded expectations, with earnings of $1.52 per share versus $1.51 expected and revenue of $5.44 billion versus $5.31 billion forecast.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) had its price target upped by investment analysts at Morgan Stanley from $71.00 to $77.00 in a research note issued on Friday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an "equal weight" rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley's price objective indicates a potential downside of 1.87% from the stock's current price.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Barclays dropped their price target on Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Altria Group in a report on Monday, October 12th. BTIG Research started coverage on Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a "neutral" rating for the company. Finally, Freedom Broker raised Altria Group to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 16th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Altria Group has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $70.78.

Altria Group Stock Performance

Shares of MO stock traded up $1.72 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $78.47. 4,723,886 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 9,017,322. Altria Group has a one year low of $54.70 and a one year high of $79.81. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $70.23 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $68.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $131.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.55, a P/E/G ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.42.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $5.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.31 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 315.29% and a net margin of 33.99%. Altria Group's quarterly revenue was up 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.45 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Altria Group will post 5.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Kathryn McQuade acquired 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 9th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $67.62 per share, for a total transaction of $101,430.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 114,929 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,771,498.98. The trade was a 1.32% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Altria Group

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MO. BlackRock Inc. raised its holdings in Altria Group by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 126,073,166 shares of the company's stock worth $9,070,964,000 after acquiring an additional 1,325,175 shares during the period. GQG Partners LLC bought a new stake in Altria Group during the second quarter valued at about $1,806,782,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in Altria Group during the second quarter valued at about $1,104,566,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 1.0% in the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 12,929,142 shares of the company's stock valued at $853,194,000 after purchasing an additional 133,676 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group in the second quarter valued at about $631,606,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 earnings and revenue exceeded expectations. Adjusted diluted EPS rose to $1.52 from $1.45 a year earlier, topping the $1.51 consensus estimate. Net revenue, excluding excise taxes, increased 3.6% to $5.44 billion, also ahead of forecasts. Altria stock is up, what you need to know
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its 2026 adjusted EPS guidance. The improved outlook reflects effective cigarette pricing, stronger smokeable-products profitability and continued cost discipline. MO Q3 Earnings Call Highlights Higher Guidance and Nicotine Strategy
• Positive Sentiment: Growth in smoke-free nicotine products supports the long-term strategy. Altria highlighted continued growth in its on! nicotine pouch business, while discount cigarette products gained traction amid consumer sensitivity to economic conditions.
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns received an additional boost. The company expanded its share-repurchase program, complementing its substantial dividend and potentially supporting per-share earnings.

Altria Group Company Profile

Altria Group, Inc is a U.S.-based consumer products company focused primarily on tobacco, nicotine and related products. Through its operating companies, Altria sells cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, oral tobacco and nicotine products, and electronic vapor products.

Altria's principal cigarette business is Philip Morris USA, whose portfolio includes Marlboro, Parliament and Virginia Slims. Its other major brands include Copenhagen and Skoal moist smokeless tobacco, Black & Mild cigars, on! nicotine pouches and NJOY electronic cigarettes.

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