Altria (MO) Q1 Earnings Preview: What You Should Know Beyond the Headline Estimates

Core Viewpoint - Analysts forecast Altria's quarterly earnings at $1.17 per share, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 1.7%, while revenues are expected to decline by 1.7% to $4.64 billion [1] Earnings Projections - The consensus EPS estimate has been adjusted downward by 1.9% over the past 30 days, indicating a reassessment by covering analysts [2] - Changes in earnings projections are crucial for predicting investor reactions, with empirical studies showing a strong link between earnings estimate trends and short-term stock price movements [3] Revenue Estimates - Analysts estimate 'Net revenue- All Other/ Financial Services' at $36.00 million, representing an increase of 89.5% year-over-year [5] - 'Revenues net of excise taxes- Oral tobacco products' are projected at $633.90 million, showing a year-over-year change of 1.3% [5] - 'Revenues net of excise taxes- Smokeable Products' are expected to be $3.97 billion, reflecting a decline of 2.6% from the previous year [6] Operating Income - 'Operating Income (Loss)/ Reported OCI- Oral tobacco products' is estimated at $448.82 million, compared to $435 million reported in the same quarter last year [6] - 'Adjusted OCI- Smokeable Products' is predicted to reach $2.48 billion, slightly up from the year-ago value of $2.45 billion [7] Market Performance - Altria's shares have increased by 1.4% over the past month, contrasting with a decline of 5.1% in the Zacks S&P 500 composite [7] - With a Zacks Rank 4 (Sell), Altria is expected to underperform the overall market in the near future [7]