Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) Given Consensus Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) have received an average recommendation of “Hold” from the twelve brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have issued a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $62.5556.

MO has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. UBS Group upgraded shares of Altria Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $61.00 to $63.00 in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Argus upgraded Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on Altria Group from $65.00 to $72.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th.

Key Stories Impacting Altria Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Investors are chasing yield: coverage highlights a ~7% dividend and frames MO as an attractive income play, supporting buying interest in the stock. Altria Yield at 7%, and the Stock Is Rising
• Positive Sentiment: Short-term price momentum: recent reports note MO is outperforming the market and closing higher on the trading day, reinforcing positive technical/flow dynamics. Altria (MO) Surpasses Market Returns
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings backdrop supportive: previews suggest Wall Street expects earnings growth and the company may have the elements for an earnings beat, which can lift sentiment into the report. Altria (MO) Reports Next Week
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend comparison pieces and analyst notes (e.g., vs. Coca‑Cola) keep the stock in income-focused conversations — helpful for steady demand but not a catalyst alone. Altria vs. Coca-Cola
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple outlets flag MO as a trending/actively watched stock and publish valuation/income analyses—useful for context but mixed in directional impact. Altria Is a Trending Stock Assessing Altria Valuation
• Neutral Sentiment: Reminder: the company is scheduled to report earnings soon — date reminders and previews can increase trading volume and volatility around the release. Altria Expected to Announce Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Fundamental caution: coverage warns that past missteps and year‑over‑year revenue declines could limit upside and justify the low price, tempering longer‑term conviction. Altria: Is This High-Yield Dividend Stock Too Cheap to Ignore?

Altria Group Trading Up 1.5%

MO stock opened at $61.92 on Friday. Altria Group has a 12-month low of $50.08 and a 12-month high of $68.60. The business’s 50-day moving average is $58.69 and its 200 day moving average is $61.62. The stock has a market cap of $103.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.82, a PEG ratio of 3.43 and a beta of 0.47.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $1.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.44 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $5.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.31 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 319.43% and a net margin of 37.89%.The business’s quarterly revenue was down 3.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.38 earnings per share. Altria Group has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.370-5.45 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Altria Group will post 5.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 26th were issued a dividend of $1.06 per share. This represents a $4.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.8%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 26th. Altria Group’s payout ratio is currently 80.92%.

Altria Group declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program on Thursday, October 30th that permits the company to buyback $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to purchase up to 1.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Trading of Altria Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 62.5% in the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 16,395,070 shares of the company’s stock valued at $954,446,000 after buying an additional 6,302,819 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP grew its position in Altria Group by 286.7% in the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 4,479,699 shares of the company’s stock valued at $295,929,000 after acquiring an additional 3,321,262 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its stake in Altria Group by 438.6% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 3,637,678 shares of the company’s stock worth $209,749,000 after purchasing an additional 2,962,270 shares during the period. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al purchased a new stake in Altria Group during the second quarter worth about $126,471,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Altria Group by 1.0% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 159,717,148 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,364,216,000 after purchasing an additional 1,599,923 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.41% of the company’s stock.

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.