Altria (MO) Stock Declines While Market Improves: Some Information for Investors

Company Performance - Altria's stock closed at $56.71, reflecting a -1.63% change from the previous day's closing price, underperforming the S&P 500 which gained 0.16% [1] - Over the past month, Altria's shares increased by 4.34%, outperforming the Consumer Staples sector which saw a loss of 0.69% and the S&P 500's loss of 3.59% [2] Upcoming Earnings - Altria is expected to report an EPS of$ 1.19, representing a 3.48% increase compared to the same quarter last year, with a revenue forecast of $4.66 billion, indicating a 1.11% decrease from the same quarter last year [3] - For the entire fiscal year, earnings are projected at$ 5.32 per share and revenue at $20.48 billion, reflecting changes of +3.91% and +0.18% respectively from the prior year [4] Analyst Estimates and Rankings - Recent changes in analyst estimates for Altria are crucial as they indicate evolving short-term business trends, with positive revisions suggesting analyst optimism regarding the company's profitability [4] - The Zacks Rank system, which includes estimate changes, currently ranks Altria at 3 (Hold), with the consensus EPS estimate remaining unchanged over the past month [6] Valuation Metrics - Altria has a Forward P/E ratio of 10.84, which is in line with the industry average, and a PEG ratio of 3.07, compared to the tobacco industry average PEG ratio of 2.82 [7] Industry Context - The Tobacco industry, part of the Consumer Staples sector, holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 78, placing it in the top 32% of over 250 industries, indicating strong performance potential [8]