Altria Group, Inc. (MO): A Bull Case Theory

We came across a bullish thesis on Altria Group, Inc. on r/wallstreetbets by quinoasqueefs. In this article, we will summarize the bulls’ thesis on MO. Altria Group, Inc.’s share was trading at $60.15 as of January 13th. MO’s trailing and forward P/E were 11.17 and 10.45 respectively according to Yahoo Finance.

Cigarette, Smoke

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Altria Group, Inc. is one of the largest tobacco and nicotine product companies in the world and is the parent company of Philip Morris USA, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, John Middleton, and Helix Innovations. The company presents a compelling investment opportunity with a current share price of $58.13 and an intrinsic value estimate of $78.79, implying a 36.5% margin of safety.

Altria benefits from resilient free cash flow, consistently generating $7–9 billion annually, which supports a secure dividend and ongoing share repurchases, with $1.3 billion remaining in its buyback authorization through 2026. Altria’s operational efficiency is evident in its high gross and net margins—72% and 44%, respectively—reflecting pricing power, disciplined cost control, and a premium smokeable franchise that drives an exceptional ROIC of 41%.

While traditional cigarette volumes are declining, Altria is leveraging growth in its oral tobacco segment, particularly its On! nicotine pouches, which have seen 70% CAGR in unit volumes over the past five years. The segment’s low capital intensity, high margins, and expanding distribution offer substantial upside, with potential to become the company’s dominant growth driver by 2029.

Altria is undervalued relative to peers, trading at just 11x trailing P/E and 9.7x EV/EBITDA, despite higher margins and returns on capital. Regulatory risks, competition from PMI’s Zyn, and structural declines in cigarette volumes are offset by Altria’s strong U.S. market position, disciplined capital allocation, and conservative deleveraging, with Debt/EBITDA improving to roughly 2.1x and FCF/Debt tripling over four years.

The company’s defensive profile, predictable cash flows, and visible upside from the oral segment position it as both a stable income play and a strategic growth opportunity, with potential re-rating as the market recognizes Altria’s durable economics and growth trajectory. Overall, Altria combines high yield, operational resilience, and underappreciated growth vectors, offering investors a highly asymmetric risk-reward profile.

Previously we covered a bullish thesis on Altria Group, Inc. by Serhio MaxDividends in May 2025, which highlighted the company’s strong dividend history, resilient cash flow, strategic acquisitions, and projected growth in revenue and EPS. The company’s stock price has been flat since our coverage. Serhio MaxDividends’ thesis remains valid given the company’s consistent cash generation and growth initiatives. Quinoasqueefs shares an identical focus on Altria but emphasizes the emerging oral tobacco segment and intrinsic value upside.

Altria Group, Inc. is not on our list of the 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 64 hedge fund portfolios held MO at the end of the third quarter which was 54 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the risk and potential of MO as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than MO and that has 10,000% upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

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Disclosure: None.