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

Altria (MO) closed at $60.15 in the latest trading session, marking a +2.75% move from the prior day. The stock's performance was ahead of the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.19%. On the other hand, the Dow registered a loss of 0.8%, and the technology-centric Nasdaq decreased by 0.1%. Prior to today's trading, shares of the owner of Philip Morris USA, the nation's largest cigarette maker had lost 0.93% lagged the Consumer Staples sector's loss of 0.19% and the S&P 500's gain of 2.26%.Market participants will be closely following the financial results of Altria in its upcoming release. The company is predicted to post an EPS of $1.3, indicating a 0.78% growth compared to the equivalent quarter last year. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $5 billion, down 2.04% from the prior-year quarter. For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $5.44 per share and a revenue of $20.08 billion, representing changes of +6.25% and 0%, respectively, from the prior year. Any recent changes to analyst estimates for Altria should also be noted by investors. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. Consequently, upward revisions in estimates express analysts' positivity towards the business operations and its ability to generate profits. Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. To exploit this, we've formed the Zacks Rank, a quantitative model that includes these estimate changes and presents a viable rating system. The Zacks Rank system, running from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), holds an admirable track record of superior performance, independently audited, with #1 stocks contributing an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate remained stagnant. Right now, Altria possesses a Zacks Rank of #4 (Sell). From a valuation perspective, Altria is currently exchanging hands at a Forward P/E ratio of 10.52. This represents a discount compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 11.59. One should further note that MO currently holds a PEG ratio of 3.25. The PEG ratio bears resemblance to the frequently used P/E ratio, but this parameter also includes the company's expected earnings growth trajectory. The Tobacco industry currently had an average PEG ratio of 2.86 as of yesterday's close. The Tobacco industry is part of the Consumer Staples sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 226, positioning it in the bottom 8% of all 250+ industries. The Zacks Industry Rank is ordered from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1. To follow MO in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com. Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.This top pick is a little-known satellite-based communications firm. Space is projected to become a trillion dollar industry, and this company's customer base is growing fast. Analysts have forecasted a major revenue breakout in 2025. Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Altria Group, Inc. (MO): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks