Altria (MO): analysis in plain words
Is Altria cheap or expensive? How it makes money, whether it grows and its risks, explained in plain words and with its official accounts.
Altria (MO) is listed on the NYSE and we classify it in consumer staples. Below are its key dated figures, how it makes money, how it compares with its sector, what works for and against Altria according to those figures, and the questions people ask most about the stock. No buy or sell tips.
Altria (MO) key figures as of November 4, 2026
| Figure | Value | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $78.01 | Last price on November 4, 2026 |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 16.1x | Price over earnings per share |
| Revenue growth | +3.6% | Latest quarter vs the same quarter a year earlier |
| Net margin (TTM) | 39.3% | Profit for every 100 of sales |
| Net debt / EBITDA | 1.7x | Years of operating profit to repay debt |
| Dividend yield | 5.77% | Annual dividend over price |
| Market cap | $129.8 billion | What the stock market values it at |
The Altria figures come from Yahoo Finance, the same source the Fintols analysis uses, retrieved on November 4, 2026. Any MO figure that is not available shows as N/A: we do not estimate it.
How Altria makes money
Altria sells tobacco products only in the United States. Its largest segment is smokeable products, led by Marlboro cigarettes and Black & Mild cigars. Oral tobacco includes Copenhagen, Skoal and on! nicotine pouches, and it also sells NJOY e-vapor products. It holds an equity stake in AB InBev as well.
Over the last 12 months, Altria brought in revenue of $20.6 billion. For every 100 it sells, Altria keeps 72.4 after the direct cost of what it sells (gross margin) and 61.5 after all operating costs (operating margin). With 5,900 full-time employees, that is about $3 million of revenue per employee.
Altria against its sector
To know whether a Altria figure is high or low you have to put it next to similar companies. This table compares Altria with the median of the 17 consumer staples companies Fintols covers, with data as of November 4, 2026.
| Figure | Altria | consumer staples median |
|---|---|---|
| P/E | 16.1x | 21.3x (17) |
| Revenue growth | +3.6% | +3.6% (19) |
| Net margin | 39.3% | 12.8% (19) |
| Dividend yield | 5.77% | 3.19% (19) |
| Net debt / EBITDA | 1.7x | 1.7x (19) |
In short, against the typical consumer staples company, Altria trades on a lower P/E, earns a wider margin and pays a higher dividend yield. By size, Altria ranks number 5 of 13 consumer staples companies quoted in USD on Fintols.
The bull case for Altria
What works in favour of Altria, according to its figures as of November 4, 2026:
- Altria keeps 39.3 of every 100 it sells as net profit, against 12.8 for the median consumer staples company: a margin like that leaves money to invest, buy back shares or pay dividends.
- For income seekers, Altria pays a dividend yielding 5.77% at today's price, using 88% of its profit to fund it.
- Altria generates real cash: $7.1 billion of free cash flow over 12 months, 5.4% of its stock market value.
The main risk for Altria
The Altria figures as of November 4, 2026 show no clear red flag (no heavy debt, no losses, no falling sales). Its main risk is the one built into its business: customers switching to cheaper store brands and rising prices for the raw materials it buys.
Frequently asked questions about Altria
Is it a good time to buy Altria stock?
Fintols does not tell you whether to buy or sell Altria, and nobody knows what the price will do tomorrow. What we can show you is where it stands today. As of November 4, 2026, Altria stock trades at $78.01, 2% below its 52-week high ($79.81) and 43% above its low ($54.70). Its P/E is 16.1x against a consumer staples median of 21.3x, and 13.2x on the earnings analysts expect over the next 12 months. With Altria, as with any stock, timing matters less than understanding the business, investing for the long run and not betting everything on a single company.
Does Altria pay a dividend?
Yes. As of November 4, 2026, Altria pays $4.44 per share a year, which at today's price is a yield of 5.77%. It uses 88% of its profit to pay it. Its average dividend yield over the last five years is 7.40%. The consumer staples median on Fintols is 3.19%.
Is Altria stock expensive?
It depends on what you compare it with. On P/E, Altria trades at 16.1x its last 12 months of earnings: cheaper than the consumer staples median (21.3x). Including its debt, Altria is valued at 11.6x its EBITDA (EV/EBITDA). A high P/E alone does not make Altria expensive: it can be justified if earnings grow fast, and a low one can reflect a business in trouble.
Who are Altria's competitors?
On Fintols we compare Altria with Colgate-Palmolive, Mondelez and Hershey, which are also in consumer staples. As of November 4, 2026, Colgate-Palmolive is worth $78.5 billion and trades on a P/E of 38.4; Mondelez is worth $85.3 billion and trades on a P/E of 21.3; Hershey is worth $35.1 billion and trades on a P/E of 19.7. Each has a side-by-side comparison with Altria below.
Altria competitors
- Colgate-Palmolive (CL) analysis · Altria vs Colgate-Palmolive comparison
- Mondelez (MDLZ) analysis · Altria vs Mondelez comparison
- Hershey (HSY) analysis · Altria vs Hershey comparison
To understand Altria better
- Dividend Growth Investing: FCF Payout Ratio and Compounding
- P/E Ratio and EPS Explained: How to Read Them Without Traps
More companies like Altria: consumer staples stocks, S&P 500 companies and S&P 100 companies. Open the full MO analysis with its valuation and scenarios. Educational content about Altria, not investment advice.