Altria Group, Inc. · MO · FY2026 Q3 · Calendar Q4 2026
Altria raises FY2026 guidance as on! momentum offsets smokeable pressure
Altria's Q3 supports a cautiously constructive thesis: nicotine-pouch growth, pricing and portfolio execution are contributing to earnings resilience, but the core smokeable business remains exposed to volume declines and consumer pressure.
Earnings scorecard
Reported versus consensusMarket reaction
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Transcript intelligence
What changed
Management raised full-year adjusted diluted EPS guidance to $5.66-$5.74, citing smoke-free portfolio momentum and revenue-management execution. It also announced a $1 billion expansion of the existing share-repurchase authorization and highlighted legal action seeking a 180-day FDA review timeline.
Guidance delta
Raised: full-year adjusted diluted EPS guidance is now $5.66-$5.74.
Key takeaways
- Adjusted diluted EPS grew 4.8% year over year in Q3.
- The on! portfolio's shipment volume increased 13.3%, with management citing higher strengths and broader flavors as growth drivers.
- Marlboro Cowboy Cut supported premium share while Basic supported discount growth; overall smokeable performance remained solid despite modest cigarette-volume declines.
- Capital returns increased through a 4.7% dividend increase and a $1 billion share-repurchase expansion.
Management priorities
- Expand nicotine-pouch flavors and higher-strength offerings, including a planned Watermelon Mint launch in select locations.
- Pursue a disciplined re-entry of NJOY ACE into e-vapor while engaging with the FDA on authorizations.
- Use revenue-management and data-analytics tools while continuing brand-building initiatives.
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Analyst 52W Price Targets
Latest persisted target per named analyst; persisted previous close from FN2's market snapshot as of Oct 30, 2026. Not an FN2 forecast.
Firm-level rating actions
FMP grade actions identify the grading firm, not a named analyst.
| Firm | Rating | Prior rating | Action | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barclays | Underweight | Underweight | Maintain | Aug 11, 2026 |
| UBS | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Jul 7, 2026 |
| Citigroup | Neutral | Neutral | Maintain | May 1, 2026 |
| B of A Securities | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Apr 10, 2026 |
| Stifel | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Jan 30, 2026 |
| Morgan Stanley | Equal Weight | Equal Weight | Maintain | Jul 31, 2025 |
| Deutsche Bank | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Nov 1, 2024 |
| Jefferies | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Oct 13, 2023 |
| Cowen & Co. | Market Perform | Market Perform | Maintain | Jun 27, 2022 |
| Bernstein | Market Perform | Outperform | Downgrade | May 10, 2022 |
| RBC Capital | Sector Perform | Outperform | Downgrade | Mar 28, 2022 |
| Goldman Sachs | Buy | Neutral | Upgrade | Mar 22, 2022 |
| Argus Research | Hold | Buy | Downgrade | May 5, 2021 |
| CFRA | Hold | Hold | Maintain | Apr 30, 2020 |
| Piper Sandler | Overweight | Neutral | Upgrade | Jan 31, 2020 |
| Citi | Buy | Neutral | Upgrade | Dec 2, 2019 |
| Piper Jaffray | Neutral | Overweight | Downgrade | Sep 10, 2019 |
| Bank of America | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Mar 20, 2019 |
| Argus | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Oct 29, 2018 |
| Stifel Nicolaus | Buy | Buy | Maintain | Jul 27, 2018 |
| PiperJaffray | Overweight | Overweight | Maintain | Feb 2, 2018 |
| Berenberg | Buy | Hold | Upgrade | Dec 19, 2017 |
| Edward Jones | Buy | Hold | Upgrade | Nov 1, 2017 |
| CLSA | Outperform | Outperform | Maintain | Sep 15, 2016 |
| Nomura | Buy | Neutral | Upgrade | Jan 16, 2015 |
| Wells Fargo | Market Perform | Outperform | Downgrade | May 19, 2014 |
Named analyst price targets
Upside is calculated against the persisted previous close $76.75. FMP does not supply a rating on these named-analyst rows.
| Firm | Analyst | 52W target | Price when posted | Upside | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferies | Andrei Andon-Ionita | $60 | $66.95 | -21.8% | Oct 2, 2026 |
| Barclays | Analyst unavailable | $58 | $65.54 | -24.4% | Aug 11, 2026 |
| UBS | Faham Baig | $79 | $73.5 | +2.9% | Jul 7, 2026 |
| Barclays | Analyst unavailable | $64 | $72.41 | -16.6% | May 15, 2026 |
| Deutsche Bank | Damian McNeela | $66 | $73.83 | -14.0% | May 4, 2026 |
| UBS | Analyst unavailable | $76 | $72.94 | -1.0% | May 1, 2026 |
| Stifel Nicolaus | Analyst unavailable | $77 | $72.64 | +0.3% | May 1, 2026 |
| Morgan Stanley | Analyst unavailable | $71 | $72.64 | -7.5% | May 1, 2026 |
| Goldman Sachs | Analyst unavailable | $77 | $72.64 | +0.3% | Apr 30, 2026 |
| UBS | Faham Baig | $74 | $67.04 | -3.6% | Mar 9, 2026 |
| Barclays | Pallav Mittal | $63 | $67.57 | -17.9% | Feb 23, 2026 |
| Stifel Nicolaus | Analyst unavailable | $68 | $59.76 | -11.4% | Jan 30, 2026 |
| UBS | Analyst unavailable | $67 | $62.92 | -12.7% | Jan 26, 2026 |
| UBS | Analyst unavailable | $63 | $55.9 | -17.9% | Jan 9, 2026 |
| Jefferies | Andrei Andon-Ionita | $47 | $56.67 | -38.8% | Nov 4, 2025 |
| UBS | Faham Baig | $61 | $57.13 | -20.5% | Oct 31, 2025 |
| Stifel Nicolaus | Matthew Smith | $72 | $67.68 | -6.2% | Aug 21, 2025 |
| Deutsche Bank | Damian McNeela | $60 | $58.79 | -21.8% | Apr 1, 2025 |
| UBS | Faham Baig | $46 | $58.79 | -40.1% | Apr 1, 2025 |
| Barclays | Gaurav Jain | $46 | $54.14 | -40.1% | Nov 6, 2024 |
| Stifel Nicolaus | Matthew Smith | $60 | $53.87 | -21.8% | Nov 1, 2024 |
| Bank of America Securities | Lisa Lewandowski | $53 | $49.86 | -30.9% | Oct 15, 2024 |
| Bank of America Securities | Lisa Lewandowski | $57 | $54.07 | -25.7% | Sep 4, 2024 |
| Stifel Nicolaus | Matthew Smith | $54 | $49.01 | -29.6% | Aug 1, 2024 |
| Stifel Nicolaus | Matthew Smith | $50 | $46.77 | -34.9% | Jun 7, 2024 |
| Goldman Sachs | Bonnie Herzog | $47 | $44.28 | -38.8% | Mar 14, 2024 |
| Morgan Stanley | Pamela Kaufman | $45 | $42.91 | -41.4% | Sep 22, 2023 |
| Citigroup | Adam Spielman | $47 | $45.94 | -38.8% | May 4, 2023 |
| Stifel Nicolaus | Matthew Smith | $52 | $46.43 | -32.2% | Apr 24, 2023 |
| BMO Capital | Kenneth Zaslow | $46 | $47.58 | -40.1% | Feb 17, 2023 |
| Citigroup | Analyst unavailable | $49.5 | $46.44 | -35.5% | Feb 7, 2023 |
| Goldman Sachs | Bonnie Herzog | $59 | $41.77 | -23.1% | Jun 30, 2022 |
| Barclays | Gaurav Jain | $36 | $43.19 | -53.1% | Jun 29, 2022 |
| Morgan Stanley | Pamela Kaufman | $43 | $42.42 | -44.0% | Jun 24, 2022 |
| Morgan Stanley | Pamela Kaufman | $50 | $54.01 | -34.9% | Jun 8, 2022 |
| Jefferies | Owen Bennett | $58 | $51.09 | -24.4% | May 23, 2022 |
| Bernstein | Callum Elliott | $53 | $55.26 | -30.9% | May 10, 2022 |
| Cowen & Co. | Vivien Azer | $53 | $54.45 | -30.9% | Apr 11, 2022 |
| Piper Sandler | Michael Lavery | $57 | $43.91 | -25.7% | Sep 30, 2021 |
| Barclays | Gaurav Jain | $45 | $45.21 | -41.4% | Aug 2, 2021 |
| Bernstein | Callum Elliott | $59 | $45.95 | -23.1% | Jun 1, 2021 |
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Start freeCompany context
Snapshot as of publicationOperating across the United States through its subsidiaries, Altria Group, Inc. is a prominent manufacturer and marketer of both combustible and oral tobacco items. Its portfolio features cigarettes, primarily under the iconic Marlboro brand, alongside cigars and pipe tobacco mainly offered as Black & Mild. The enterprise further provides an assortment of moist smokeless tobacco products, including Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky, in addition to its on! brand of oral nicotine pouches. Altria distributes its merchandise chiefly to wholesale partners, such as independent distributors, and directly to substantial retail organizations, including major chain stores. The corporation, founded in 1822, maintains its principal offices in Richmond, Virginia.
Historical context
All MO earningsConsumer Defensive peers this season
Latest reports in the same sector| Company | Quarter | EPS surprise | Market move | Headline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABEV Ambev S.A. | FY2026 Q3 · Calendar Q4 2026 | 0.0% | -4.0% | Ambev posts steady Q3 growth as digital platforms accelerate |
| HSY The Hershey Company | FY2026 Q3 · Calendar Q4 2026 | +25.1% | -2.1% | Hershey Maintains 2027 Growth Outlook as Innovation Pipeline Expands |
| BG Bunge Global S.A. | FY2026 Q3 · Calendar Q4 2026 | +6.2% | -4.7% | Bunge holds 2026 outlook as Viterra synergies and projects advance |
| BUD Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV | FY2026 Q3 · Calendar Q4 2026 | +6.1% | -1.8% | AB InBev posts strong Q3 growth as China weakness persists |
Latest beats and misses
Who reports nextBeat on EPS
- VMCFY2026 Q3 · October 29, 2026+0.7% EPS+5.8% move
- PWRFY2026 Q3 · October 29, 2026+20.7% EPS+4.7% move
- KBFY2026 Q3 · October 29, 2026+3.6% EPS-0.7% move
- ARESFY2026 Q3 · October 29, 2026+0.8% EPS+2.9% move
- HWMFY2026 Q3 · October 29, 2026+6.6% EPS+5.5% move
- YPFFY2026 Q3 · October 29, 2026+56.3% EPS-3.1% move
Missed on EPS
- DHIFY2026 Q4 · October 29, 2026-11.3% EPS+2.5% move
- BBVAFY2026 Q3 · October 29, 2026-1.6% EPS-2.2% move
- INSMFY2026 Q3 · October 29, 2026-20.2% EPS+15.1% move
- STMFY2026 Q3 · October 29, 2026-7.5% EPS+3.0% move
- SCIFY2026 Q3 · October 28, 2026-2.1% EPS-8.7% move
- AMFY2026 Q3 · October 28, 2026-5.6% EPS+3.7% move
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Sources
- Earnings call transcript and parsed analysis · 2026-10-29T17:13:06.721380+00:00
- FN2 earnings calendar · 2026-10-30T01:23:13.979536+00:00
- Polygon adjusted daily market bars · 2026-10-30T10:40:44.392459+00:00
- Financial Modeling Prep analyst price-target consensus and quote snapshot · 2026-10-30T10:40:44.389003+00:00
Methodology
Reported and consensus figures come from FN2's earnings event records. Market reaction and volume are calculated from daily adjusted bars around the event; abnormal move subtracts the SPY move over the same window.
Analyst target low, average, and high values are derived at request time from each named analyst's latest persisted FMP target. The current-price marker comes from FN2's persisted market snapshot. They are sell-side estimates, not an FN2 valuation or recommendation.
Transcript intelligence is a structured synthesis of the current and prior earnings-call analyses. Missing values stay missing and are never estimated.
By FN2 Research · Updated · As of 2026-10-30. For educational purposes only; not investment advice.