Citigroup Issues Positive Forecast for Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Stock Price

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) had its price target boosted by Citigroup from $70.00 to $72.00 in a research report issued on Friday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “neutral” rating on the stock. Citigroup‘s price target points to a potential downside of 7.73% from the company’s current price.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Altria Group from $71.00 to $77.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday. UBS Group lifted their target price on Altria Group from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Freedom Broker upgraded shares of Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Monday, October 12th. Finally, BTIG Research initiated coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $71.00.

Altria Group Trading Up 1.7%

Altria Group stock traded up $1.28 during trading on Friday, hitting $78.03. The company had a trading volume of 20,516,040 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,095,007. Altria Group has a 1-year low of $54.70 and a 1-year high of $79.81. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $70.23 and its 200-day simple moving average is $68.65. The stock has a market cap of $130.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.42.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.51 by $0.01. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 315.29% and a net margin of 33.99%. The company had revenue of $5.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.31 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.45 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that Altria Group will post 5.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Kathryn McQuade purchased 1,500 shares of Altria Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 9th. The shares were bought 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,771,498.98. This trade represents a 1.32% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Altria Group

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in MO. AIA Group Ltd raised its stake in Altria Group by 5.8% in the third quarter. AIA Group Ltd now owns 3,607 shares of the company’s stock valued at $243,000 after buying an additional 198 shares in the last quarter. Provenance Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Altria Group by 1,623.4% during the 3rd quarter. Provenance Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,670 shares of the company’s stock worth $382,000 after acquiring an additional 5,341 shares in the last quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC boosted its position in shares of Altria Group by 34.3% during the 3rd quarter. Hughes Financial Services LLC now owns 806 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,000 after acquiring an additional 206 shares in the last quarter. Associated Banc Corp purchased a new position in shares of Altria Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $3,372,000. Finally, Integrity Alliance LLC. increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 10.8% in the 3rd quarter. Integrity Alliance LLC. now owns 35,341 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,380,000 after acquiring an additional 3,433 shares during the last quarter. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Altria Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 earnings beat expectations: Adjusted EPS 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, supported by higher pricing and stronger smokeable-product profits. Altria MO stock is up, what you need to know
• Positive Sentiment: Higher full-year outlook and buybacks: Altria raised its 2026 adjusted EPS guidance after the quarterly beat and expanded its share-repurchase program. The combination of improved earnings visibility and capital returns helped support the bullish investor reaction. MO Q3 Earnings Call Highlights Higher Guidance and Nicotine Strategy
• Positive Sentiment: Core and next-generation products remain supportive: Needham said Altria’s smokeable volumes continue to outperform the broader industry, helped by its portfolio strategy. Management also highlighted growth in nicotine pouches, giving investors an additional source of expansion beyond traditional cigarettes. Altria’s Smokeable Volumes Continue to Outperform Industry, Needham Says
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation is attracting attention: Some analysis continues to view Altria as undervalued based on its cash-generation and dividend profile, although the stock’s roughly 153% five-year gain means investors are increasingly focused on whether future cash flows justify the higher valuation. Altria Group Stock Still Appears Undervalued Following Its 153% Run
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst target remains a near-term constraint: Morgan Stanley raised its price target from $71 to $77 but maintained an “equal weight” rating, implying limited upside from the current trading level. This suggests some analysts believe the recent rally has already priced in much of the earnings improvement. Morgan Stanley Altria rating

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.