Altria (MO) Grows EPS 4.8% in Q3 as Cigarette Volumes Keep Falling
As seen on the 24/7 Wall St. homepage on October 29, 2026.
Altria delivered strong financial performance in the third quarter, growing adjusted diluted earnings per share by 4.8%, while continuing to invest in our Vision and building on our foundation for the future.
Shrinking cigarette volumes still aren't stopping Altria's earnings engine, and Mancuso is leaning on pricing and buybacks to keep the per-share line moving while the smoke-free pivot plays out. For a $121.9 billion dividend holding, that steady compounding is the whole thesis.
Continue ReadingShow less
Altria is still growing per-share profits while fewer people light up: adjusted diluted earnings per share rose 4.8% in the third quarter, a figure CEO Sal Mancuso called out directly in his remarks.
Pricing on a habitual customer base and buybacks that shrink the share count are the two levers behind that growth, and both were in play this quarter.
Sponsored
Mancuso's comment about investing in the company's Vision points to the smoke-free portfolio Altria is building for a future where combustible cigarettes are a smaller slice of revenue. That pivot costs money now, which makes compounding earnings through pricing and buybacks the funding mechanism.
For dividend investors, the thesis rests on steady per-share growth in a structurally declining category, and the 4.8% EPS gain delivers it. The question for coming quarters is whether smoke-free products contribute meaningful revenue or the pricing and buyback engine carries the load alone.
Sources
Mentioned: MO