Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Releases Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.01 EPS

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.51 by $0.01, FiscalAI reports. The business had revenue of $5.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.31 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 33.99% and a negative return on equity of 315.29%. The company’s revenue was up 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.45 earnings per share.

Here are the key takeaways from Altria Group’s conference call:

• Positive Sentiment: Altria raised its 2026 adjusted diluted EPS guidance to $5.66–$5.74, representing 4.5%–6% growth, after adjusted EPS increased 4.8% in the third quarter and 5.1% year to date.
• Positive Sentiment: The smokeable products segment remained the primary earnings driver: adjusted operating income rose 3.9% in the quarter, while PM USA’s total retail share increased year over year as Marlboro’s premium share and Basic’s discount share both improved.
• Positive Sentiment: Nicotine pouch brand on! reported 13.3% third-quarter shipment growth to 47.8 million cans. Altria is expanding on! PLUS with 12-milligram products and new flavors, supported by premium retail placement and increased brand investment.
• Positive Sentiment: Altria returned more than $6 billion to shareholders through the first nine months, including $5.3 billion in dividends and $735 million in repurchases, and authorized a further $1 billion expansion of its share-buyback program.
• Negative Sentiment: Oral tobacco adjusted operating income declined 3.7% as lower moist smokeless tobacco volumes and investment behind on! more than offset pouch growth. E-vapor also remains challenging because illicit products dominate the category, although Altria plans to relaunch NJOY ACE with a more disciplined, profitability-focused approach.

Altria Group Trading Up 2.0%

Altria Group stock traded up $1.54 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $78.29. 4,002,520 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 9,014,119. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $70.23 and a two-hundred day moving average of $68.65. Altria Group has a 1-year low of $54.70 and a 1-year high of $79.81. The stock has a market cap of $130.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.50, a P/E/G ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.42.

Altria Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 9th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were given a dividend of $1.11 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. This is a positive change from Altria Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.06. This represents a $4.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.7%. Altria Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 93.67%.

Altria Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results topped expectations. Adjusted earnings per share rose to $1.52 from $1.45 a year earlier, exceeding the $1.51 consensus estimate. Net revenue, excluding excise taxes, increased 3.6% to $5.44 billion, also ahead of forecasts. Altria Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates on Strong Pricing & Higher Profits
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its 2026 earnings outlook. The higher guidance signals confidence that cigarette pricing, cost discipline and continued profit growth can offset pressure on cigarette volumes. MO Q3 Earnings Call Highlights Higher Guidance and Nicotine Strategy
• Positive Sentiment: Nicotine alternatives and shareholder returns supported sentiment. Growth in on! nicotine pouches provides a developing reduced-risk product opportunity, while the expanded buyback program adds support to per-share earnings and signals confidence in cash generation. Altria stock is up, what you need to know
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation is receiving renewed attention. After a strong multiyear advance, some analysis still considers MO undervalued relative to its cash-flow potential, but the stock is also near its 52-week high, which may limit room for further gains without continued execution. Altria Group Stock Still Appears Undervalued Following Its Run
• Negative Sentiment: Core tobacco challenges remain. Cigarette volumes continue to face structural pressure, and management noted economic conditions affecting discount-product consumers. Investors will therefore be watching whether pricing and nicotine-pouch growth can sustainably compensate for declining traditional volumes.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Freedom Broker raised Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. BTIG Research started coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Barclays reduced their target price on Altria Group from $64.00 to $58.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a report on Monday, October 12th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $70.11.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Kathryn McQuade bought 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 9th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $67.62 per share, with a total value of $101,430.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 114,929 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,771,498.98. The trade was a 1.32% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About Altria Group

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.