Citigroup Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Altria Group (NYSE:MO) Stock

03 May 2026, 09:28 by Doug Wharley · The Cerbat Gem

Altria Group (NYSE:MO – Get Free Report) had its price target boosted by investment analysts at Citigroup from $65.00 to $70.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has a “neutral” rating on the stock. Citigroup’s price target would suggest a potential downside of 5.88% from the company’s previous close.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on shares of Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 30th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Altria Group from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Argus raised shares of Altria Group to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Altria Group from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $77.00 target price on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $69.63.

Get Our Latest Research Report on Altria Group

Altria Group Trading Up 2.4%

Altria Group stock opened at $74.37 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $66.70 and a 200 day moving average of $62.67. The firm has a market capitalization of $124.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.56, a P/E/G ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 0.48. Altria Group has a 12-month low of $54.70 and a 12-month high of $74.56.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $4.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 34.34% and a negative return on equity of 298.69%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.23 EPS. Altria Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.560-5.72 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Altria Group will post 5.66 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Altria Group news, SVP Charles N. Whitaker sold 27,908 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.57, for a total value of $1,885,743.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 180,869 shares in the company, valued at $12,221,318.33. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MO. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in Altria Group by 64.7% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 17,702 shares of the company’s stock worth $926,000 after purchasing an additional 6,954 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Altria Group by 86.3% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 6,361 shares of the company’s stock valued at $373,000 after acquiring an additional 2,946 shares during the last quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. boosted its position in shares of Altria Group by 6.9% during the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 9,630 shares of the company’s stock valued at $565,000 after acquiring an additional 618 shares during the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $346,000. Finally, AXA S.A. bought a new position in shares of Altria Group during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $5,752,000. 57.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Altria Group News

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

Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat and guidance intact — Altria topped revenue and EPS estimates, cited pricing and cost controls as drivers, and reconfirmed FY2026 EPS guidance, a key reason investors are buying the stock. Altria beats quarterly profit estimates
Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Stifel raised its price target to $77 and kept a Buy rating, signaling incremental analyst confidence that supports the rally. Stifel raises PT to $77
Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley highlights solid profit momentum and visibility from Altria’s pricing and portfolio; that institutional endorsement helped market sentiment. Morgan Stanley bullish note
Positive Sentiment: Index/momentum attention — coverage noting an “S&P 500 moment” and recent share-price momentum has likely attracted passive and momentum flows into MO. Altria’s S&P 500 Moment
Positive Sentiment: Income appeal — MO continues to be featured in low-risk/dividend lists, reinforcing demand from income-focused investors. Low-risk investment list
Neutral Sentiment: Citigroup raised its target to $70 but kept a Neutral rating — signal of modestly improved fundamentals but still cautious relative to current levels. Citigroup PT update
Neutral Sentiment: Corporate housekeeping: Altria will webcast its 2026 annual meeting — routine disclosure, minimal immediate price impact but relevant for shareholder engagement. Webcast of annual meeting
Neutral Sentiment: Valuation/momentum checks — analysts and media note strong 1‑year and 3‑month returns and mixed earnings expectations; market is re-pricing income story vs. growth risks. Valuation check
Negative Sentiment: Macro/inflation caution — some analysts warn inflation and macro uncertainty increase downside risk despite the dividend and pricing power; a few commentators downgraded or advocated caution. Inflation and macro risk concerns

About Altria Group

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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.