UBS Group Boosts Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Price Target to $79.00

Key Points

• UBS Group raised its price target on Altria Group to $79 from $76 and kept a buy rating, implying about 8.5% upside from the prior close.
• Other analysts are mixed on the stock: recent targets ranged from $60 to $77, and the consensus from MarketBeat is a Hold with an average price target of $70.78.
• Altria reported better-than-expected Q1 earnings of $1.32 per share on $4.76 billion in revenue, and management guided FY2026 EPS to 5.56–5.72.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) had its target price raised by equities research analysts at UBS Group from $76.00 to $79.00 in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "buy" rating on the stock. UBS Group's price target suggests a potential upside of 8.48% from the company's previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on MO. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Altria Group from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Morgan Stanley set a $71.00 price objective on Altria Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $77.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Altria Group from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Altria Group from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, June 21st. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $70.78.

Altria Group Price Performance

NYSE:MO opened at $72.82 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $121.61 billion, a PE ratio of 15.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.45. Altria Group has a fifty-two week low of $54.70 and a fifty-two week high of $74.56. The stock's 50-day moving average is $71.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $66.33.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.07. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The company had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.58 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.23 EPS. The company's revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Altria Group will post 5.68 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Altria Group

In other Altria Group news, Director Ennis Debra J. Kelly sold 5,790 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.25, for a total value of $418,327.50. Following the transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ellen R. Strahlman sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.56, for a total value of $145,120.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 25,102 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,821,401.12. This trade 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 currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Altria Group

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 64.7% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 17,702 shares of the company's stock valued at $926,000 after acquiring an additional 6,954 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 86.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 6,361 shares of the company's stock valued at $373,000 after purchasing an additional 2,946 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. boosted its position in shares of Altria Group by 6.9% in 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. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group during the second quarter worth $346,000. Finally, AXA S.A. bought a new stake in Altria Group in the second quarter valued at about $5,752,000. 57.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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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