Do Wall Street Analysts Like Altria Group Stock?
Altria Group, Inc. (MO), headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, manufactures and sells smokeable and oral tobacco products. Valued at $100.4 billion by market cap, the company offers cigarettes primarily under the Marlboro brand, large cigars and pipe tobacco under the Black & Mild brand, moist smokeless tobacco and snus products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands, and more.
Shares of this leading tobacco company have outperformed the broader market over the past year. MO has gained 35.5% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has rallied nearly 12.3%. In 2025, MO stock is up 14%, surpassing the SPX’s 3.3% decline on a YTD basis.
Zooming in further, MO’s outperformance is also apparent compared to the Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP).The exchange-traded fund has gained about 7.8% over the past year. Moreover, MO’s double-digit returns on a YTD basis outshine the ETF’s 3.8% returns over the same time frame.
Altria's Njoy vaping business and its consumable shipments are experiencing strong growth, leading to its outperformance.
On Apr. 29, MO shares closed up by 1% after reporting its Q1 results. Its adjusted EPS of $1.23 surpassed Wall Street expectations of $1.17. The company’s adjusted revenue was $4.5 billion, missing Wall Street forecasts of $4.6 billion. MO expects full-year adjusted EPS in the range of $5.30 to $5.45.
For the current fiscal year, ending in December, analysts expect MO’s EPS to grow 5.3% to $5.39 on a diluted basis. The company’s earnings surprise history is mixed. It beat the consensus estimate in three of the last four quarters while missing the forecast on another occasion.
Among the 11 analysts covering MO stock, the consensus is a “Hold.” That’s based on three “Strong Buy” ratings, six “Holds,” and two “Strong Sells.”
This configuration is less bullish than two months ago, with four analysts suggesting a “Strong Buy.”
On May 2, Barclays PLC (BCS) kept an “Underweight” rating on MO and raised the price target to $49.
While MO currently trades above its mean price target of $56.11, the Street-high price target of $63 suggests a 5.7% upside potential.
On the date of publication, Neha Panjwani did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.